Stormclouds
by Consort
Summary: My first attempt at a fanfiction. A threat looms over the nexus, and none of the inhabitants are going to take it lying down. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1: Within the storm.

Explosions tore through the air. A few incredibly powerful mages hurled various spells at each other from the relative safety of behind their side's warriors plated head to toe in armour. Occasionally a combat medic or magical healer could be seen darting between lines, removing burns, bruises and cuts. The aggressors from the west had a distinct upper hand, having toppled several lines of defences courtesy of their hybrid tank-artillery, dubbed a 'siege tank'. Said tank was happily blasting away at the last line of defences until one of the eastern defenders conjured a small desert above the tank, which fell unnaturally fast and sheared through the solid steel body, causing the machine to explode. Despite the loss of the artillery, the aggressors still held a massive numbers advantage in foot soldiers and had four of their 'heroes' present, as opposed to the defenders' three. The fifth of the aggressors became visible directly behind the offending mage, energy blade in hand, and gave them a break from existence. Two to five, the defenders were rapidly overwhelmed and forced back to the core of their base. But even as the automated cannons of the core began to discharge volleys of energy into the opposing army, the aggressors pushed in and brought the building down and it exploded into regular fire, magical wisps, electronic sparks and somewhat confusingly, golden coins.

It was a completely normal battle, for the nexus.

* * *

In the middle of a field, in the middle of everywhere and nowhere at the same time, ten beings and a siege tank materialised out of nowhere and began to congratulate each other with varying degrees of sincerity. "Well played" and "Good game" were tossed out nonchalantly by a few of them before they left, whilst three of them stayed.

"You know, that was a really neat trick with your Ring of Frost! I know you put a lot of time into it, although I can tell you're going to keep practising." Said a petite mage in a yellow dress.

"Well, I mainly spent the time creating the theory for the figure 8, but learning the spell wasn't too bad. I'm hoping that I can create a flexible version in the future. Can you see anything helpful?" replied a taller mage robed in blue.

"Mayyybe. Or I could just, you know, do my job of keeping time in order."

"Do you two ladies want a lift back? 'cause I don't have all day, you know. My baby needs a wash!" Yelled Sgt. Hammer from atop her tank.

"I still think it's a bit weird to call your tank 'baby'…" Replied Archmage Jaina Proudmoore, climbing up the rope ladder that was thrown out the top of the vehicle. She was followed by Chronormu, Bronze dragon, master of the sands of time and holder of the secrets of past, present and future. Though she preferred herself as the gnome Chromie.

The tank revved and left the field at a good speed for such a heavy vehicle. The pair of spellcasters sat on top of the tank, watching as the land shimmered and changed around them. The world of the nexus, if you could call it that, was a very confusing place. It was a patchwork of places that had been, were, or would be from many worlds, and the places stopped and started abruptly. You could be driving through a desolate, ruined town, blink and you were on the surface of the forgotten planet of Zerus for a few hundred meters, before passing into a forest and so forth. The places never stayed the same either, apart from a few select areas and places which currently had any form of sentient life. On the plus side, the fact that reality was either broken or taking a break could be used to the advantage of a traveller. Distance could be bent, although not negated. Trips that could take hours in a supersonic jet could be completed in the same time by a dedicated cyclist with a strong mind. Not that there were many places to go for most people, there were only a few notable settlements. One of which Hammer drove into. It was a small, technologically advanced town that incorporated design techniques from a total of three worlds to create a unique aesthetic. She rolled into a garage that was custom-designed for a tank, complete with a plethora of tools and electrical equipment to perform any kind of repair that could possibly be necessary. All installed before anyone had been aware of the special power bestowed upon the ones who'd entered the nexus as heroes: somewhat technical immortality. Their equipment never broke. They didn't age. They could be injured, but they were resistant to most kinds of damage. And in the unlikely event one of them did die outside of a battle world, they would wake up the next day, in the place they felt safest, feeling perfectly alright. Though some of the more scientific individuals argued that since this had only happened twice, it could not be proven beyond doubt.

The town of Anchor, as it was dubbed, was confusingly idyllic. As one of the only places fixed into the realm, almost all the people who escaped reality, or in just over fifty cases were specifically invited to leave reality, found their way there and settled. Given the huge mixture of ages, races and religions, everybody getting along should have bordered on impossible… But for some reason, even the extremists didn't want to mess with law enforcement composed of an ex-military commando and the literal embodiment of justice. It was situated on perfectly flat plains, and sustained itself through gathering. After all, what good is access to infinite resources if you don't use it? The town was protected by a simple stone wall. About two metres high, and mainly to stop wild animals from getting in. If the town actually needed to defend against a threat, then they had over 30 of the most powerful fighters in multiple histories living within, and another few dozen willing to come to its aid.

* * *

Lena Oxton, more commonly known as Tracer, was performing parkour throughout the city rooftops when her radio beeped. "Tracer here!" She responded, performing an acrobatic leap onto a chimney.

"This is Jimmy, I'm gonna need a professional opinion on something…" Crackled Raynor's voice.

"Fire away love!"

"I was thinking about organising some research into the exact nature of this place… Do you have any idea where to start?"

 **A/n: Okay, for this fanfiction I'm going to accept some pairings for future chapters. I'm looking for pairings for the following characters:**

 **Jaina, Brightwing, Nova, Sonya, Lt. Morales, Sgt. Hammer, Li-ming, Valla, Chromie and Tracer.**

 **I've got nothing against LGBT, but I'm going to need straight pairings. Please PM them if you can.**

 **Update: Minor capitalisation changes, slight change of phrasing when talking about the town defences.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2 Whereabouts undefined

A dozen heroes sat around a table in a restaurant. "Okay" said Raynor as he sipped an incredibly strong coffee "After a long talk, we've agreed that the best way to try and figure out some more about this place is by trying to do a few things. Li-ming, you've got the plan."

Li-ming set down her teacup. "Right. There are three routes of investigation we can follow. The first is magical analysis. Myself and Miss Proudmoore shall be looking for irregularities in the flow of magic at key places we know of, and looking at certain objects that should apparently be non-magical, such Nova's rifle which has inexplicably gained the ability to self-reload." She turned the page "The second route is technological analysis. I'm not an expert _yet_ , but I understand you can measure things such as magnetism. Doctor Morales and Nova shall be looking at the same objects and areas as my team, but from a different angle. The last method we have is outside help. We're working on sending a message that can reach the lords of the battlegrounds, wherever they are. We have reason to believe they live in the battlefields, so we only need to work out how to travel backwards through a one-way portal. Simple enough."

Valla looked at Raynor with her burning eyes. "I have a suggestion… Why not ask those who live in the other areas? I doubt the insect-like ones will be willing to co-operate, but those who live in Nature's Garden are friendly, and all use magic that we are not familiar with."

There was a general murmur of agreement.

* * *

There were two settlements with heroes outside of Anchor. The first was known as 'The Black Circle' by the dramatic part of the populace, and 'That Zerg Place' by the rest. It was unpleasant there for most normal people, to say the least. It comprised a small collection of most major types of zerg structure, and was notable for having creep in a perfect circle one hundred meters in radius, expanding from Abathur who never moved, hence the fact the area didn't disappear. Any kind of drone that tried to leave said circle was quickly whisked into the infinite randomness of the nexus, and of the few thousand that had been sent out thus far, none had been seen by anyone else yet. The four inhabitants were still able to come and go as they pleased, even if one never moved. The only visitors were Anub'arak, who was still trying to forge an alliance, the Lost Vikings every few weeks, and Raynor once ended up going there to convince Kerrigan to come to a party. He was the first case of a hero dying outside a battlefield.

The other settlement was aptly named 'Nature's Gardens'. It had once been a grand temple, or perhaps a royal villa, made of marble with arching pillars and intricate decorations, mainly in the form of carvings and murals. It had overlooked a small forest of immaculately kept birch trees. But now, it was far beyond overgrown. A huge oak tree had sprouted in the centre of the villa where the roof had once collapsed, and all manner of vines and mosses caked the walls. The birch forest had diversified into a mass of otherworldly trees and plants, both mundane and fantastic. The interior once lit by coal torches, was now gently illuminated by enchanted crystals. The building should have crumbled to dust aeons ago, but the original masonry was imbued with protective wards, that even millennia later still managed to slow the erosion of the stones to a mere thousandth of the normal rate. It was here that the night elves and the inhabitants of the Emerald Dream could be found. They were visited a little more than The Black Circle, most frequently by those who were seeking peace. The monk Kharazim was a very frequent visitor, and could very often be found meditating near the ruins.

It was overcast and windy as the Nephalem walked up to the temple. You noticed the weather a lot more when it had changed five times in the last half an hour. Kharazim had gladly volunteered to go with Valla to ask their questions. As they approached, Kharazim suddenly stopped, and held up his palm to halt Valla as well. He tensed, and said firmly "Ambusher. Reveal yourself." Lunara cantered out from behind a particularly thick grove of trees, minus her javelin.

"Greetings. It's not often that I see anyone out of the ordinary here. I assume Valla can be trusted around our home?" Her words carried some distrust, but she made no action to conjure anything.

Valla stepped forward "Of course. I have no intention of interfering with your home. We're here to ask some questions. We need to know if you have any information about this place, the Nexus" She paused.

"well, I don't know much. I would ask Malfurion, but he's busy with other problems right now…"

This caught Kharazim's interest "It is far from normal for a matter to require Malfurion to intervene, especially here, where the land is of less meaning outside our homes."

"Yes, the main problem is that the three demons from your place attacked recently. We drove them off effortlessly, but both Tyrande and Brightwing are now missing…"

"A kidnapping? That seems unlikely if they were defeated as soundly as you say. Are you sure that she's not missing in the Nexus?"

"I don't think it's possible to kidnap Tyrande. Especially when she's in nearly perfect condition and you're dying of poison. And Brightwing would simply teleport herself out of holding. We're on the verge of calling in Illidan to track them down, despite his dislike of Malfurion."

"I have observed their behaviours during my meditation. Brightwing is liable to wander. Perhaps Tyrande set off after her wandering companion…"

"We'll investigate with you. The faster your problems are solved, the faster ours are." offered Valla.

"Good luck to you."

They set off, into the randomness.

* * *

In the field, Li-ming and Jaina were trying to gather any kind of data they could on the area's magic. They were getting nowhere.

"It's like this entire area is just completely normal. I'm beginning to suspect that the forces at play here are beyond regular magic." Li-ming commented, scribbling some notes down in a small pad of paper.

"And not only that, but from what I've heard the non-magic group is making just as much progress. I hope the realm lords have some useful information, because I don't want to rely on getting a lucky breakthrough." Jaina frowned. "Though I admit, I am enjoying the challenge."

A radio unit that had been pressed into Jaina's hands by Raynor just before they left began to crackle. "Nova here, reporting on behalf of the Tech team. We've turned up absolutely nothing on my rifle, and we've analysed it in every way we can. We're coming down to you." The radio shut off with a click.

In about a minute, the siege tank rolled into the field with a few people on top.

* * *

Finding Malfurion, Tyrande and by extension, Brightwing was actually quite easy for Valla. She just pictured the arch-druid and walked to him like any other location. And both he and a recently called Illidan had already done the same thing for Tyrande, who'd followed Brightwing as she wandered. The problem was exactly where she had wandered. Directly into The Black Circle. Creating the problem of how to get in and out of the most dangerous area in the dimension without dying. They looked at the circle from a distance, out of sight.

Valla stared at the mass of purple-ish constructs. "Well… This presents a problem. None of us are really suited to just cutting a path through them, and even if we could, your ally hasn't risen into our line of sight in almost twenty minutes. It seems reasonable to assume that she's been captured. But that's not possible"

Tyrande stood up. "I don't know what's happened to her, but with you three to back me up, I feel more confident in infiltrating. We should be able to get in, free her and escape, and they can't chase us outside of the circle. I'm going to use my power to conceal us from those who are not looking for us. Everyone, get ready." Everyone did indeed get ready, drawing their weapons, and preparing to move. Tyrande's strategies were very well-respected, if only for the fact she had so much experience that she would simply always know what to do.

The team moved in silently and secretly. They spread out a little, and approached the central cluster with calm speed. A quick look around located their target, talking to Dehaka. They walked a little closer, overhearing the conversation.

"The idea of inviting someone to our domain without special reason is new to me. However, it has not been an unwelcome change." Rumbled Dehaka.

"I am very happy that you think so! I do not manage to see you very often, friend!" There was Brightwing.

"You are permitted here at any time, as long as there is no reason to exclude you. You could come and visit more often, if you decided to."

"That would be nice, friend, but I cannot always be here, or my other friends would be sad. They do not like you…"

"That is unfortunate. Perhaps it would be easier if I visited you? I can remain hidden. And then we can hunt together?"

At this point, Tyrande signalled to get her team's attention, and pointed towards an exit. _'Go'_ , she mouthed, and began to move towards the edge of the circle. Malfurion, realising that the spell would fade very soon, nodded and signalled the nephalem to retreat as well. They began to flicker into visibility about twenty meters into safety, when Malfurion was the first to speak.

"Hmm… As much as I dislike that race for what they do to the world around them, it would appear that Brightwing has become smitten with one of them. It seems I'll have to work on accepting them, and think of a good way to convince them not to alter our home without sabotaging their relationship…"

Valla raised an eyebrow. "You think they're falling for each other? What makes you say that? It looked like they were just good friends. And how are you taking it so calmly, she's like a daughter to you?"

Malfurion chuckled. "It's all in the body language. And I've known her for her entire life, she's normally happy to be near anyone. Actively seeking out someone? Who she knows most people dislike? That's some special affection. And I'm no expert in the Zerg, but I'm told that their emotions are rudimentary at best. Trusting an outsider with access to their most vulnerable place seems like a sign of something more." He paused for a bit, thinking about his next answer "And I think I've lived long enough to say that nothing good will come of me trying to split them apart."

Illidan spoke up "You know… If it makes it any easier, I know how to deal with things that you hate without slicing them apart. You just have to go and think about them until they seem perfectly normal and you accept them"

"Illidan, hatred must be tempered by discipline. And I'm not sure you're really one to talk about dealing with hatred." Valla interjected.

"Oh no, this worked for me when I was getting over Tyrande. I just don't want to get over Maiev. She can get sliced."

* * *

At the field, everyone was excited. There had been a breakthrough in the research, if only a small one. Li-ming had attempted to disrupt the area's magic, to check that Jaina was correctly sensing it. She had been surprised to find that the magic of the area had snapped back to normal bizarrely quickly. "Something is causing a forced normalisation around here! If I can just trace the arranging force, we can split this mystery wide open." She was practically jumping with excitement. "Okay Jaina, on the count of three, we're going to try and just make a mana vacuum in-between us. One.." They raised their staves and began channelling "Two… THREE!" There was a colossal SNAP and the colour of the grass changed a few times as the air rippled outwards, then inwards, and discharged a shockwave towards the mages. Li-ming vanished in an instant. Jaina was caught off-guard and prepared for getting blown away, but was surprised when Raynor's back gently thudded against her chest.

"Whew, got you darlin'." Raynor said, rolling his visor up. The crater in the field was rapidly self-repairing, as Li-ming looked at her crystal orb incredulously.

"I… I've manged to trace the source of the magic!"

 **Author's Notes (now in Bold!): Okay, then. Chapter two, a bit longer. You guys have until the next chapter to get your pairings in. Thanks to you two reviewers. Edit: Added actual linebreaks. For justice!**

 **Lucario: Your pairings are in. I'm accepting them because you don't have an account though, so everyone else will need to PM. (Unless they don't have an account either)**

 **Anon: Isn't that Incest? Even so, I'm currently not looking for an Auriel pairing. She and Tyreal can feature in the story though, I am trying to make everyone happy.**

 **Update: Fixed some capitalisation, and slightly altered some speech to better fit the characters or have greater clarity.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ch.3 Time-skipping

Everyone was back at the restaurant, while Li-ming flipped through several pages of her notebook. They were joined by Malfurion, who'd told Valla it would be better if he explained what he knew while everyone was present.

"Okay, so I'll start with what I've concluded as definitely true." Said Li-ming "There is an external force that affects every area of this world, and it has the power to influence both magical and scientific objects." She looked at Malfurion.

"Right, right… I can confirm that you are correct. I have felt this force influencing nature many times around me, and I can be sure that its influence is inconsistent. For example, it's very weak where I settled, and here, but outside of these areas it's very strong. There are a few places that it's nearly overwhelming in." Malfurion leaned back in his chair.

Sylvanas spoke up. "Is it a threat to us? It seems chaotic, maybe-"

Kael'thas cut her off "It has provided us with a great many benefits, Windrunner. You more than many of us, with all those free arrows."

"Something else worth knowing…" Malfurion continued "This force doesn't seem to have any interest in affecting anyone that is not called upon to do battle in the combat realms. For example, there are a few normal dryads and faerie dragons in the forest around Nature's gardens, but only Lunara and Brightwing can go without food or water if they feel like it."

Kael'thas leaned forwards "I think that's enough to conclusively prove I'm in the right, Sylvanas."

Sylvanas looked at him with a face as welcoming as a drawn bow. "Fine. I'm still your better in most other regards… Except for complaining. I'm not even going to try and beat you at that."

"Now, Now." Said Raynor "No arguments in places where people live. If you two need to sort something out, do it where it won't level a building."

Kael'thas stood up "It's time I put you in your place, Windrunner. I challenge you to a round of chess; loser accepts the other as their superior!" He pointed a finger dramatically.

Sylvanas looked up. "An opportunity to prove I'm smarter than you beyond a doubt? You're prepared to lose, I hope." The two marched out, with palpable competitive spirit between them.

With the room a little quieter, Jaina spoke up. "So… You mentioned you'd actually managed to trace this force, Li-ming. Where does it come from?"

Li-ming had the biggest grin on her face as she began to explain. "Well, the reason we couldn't sense it normally is simple: it comes through from an entirely unheard of source, which I'm going to call 'the sixth dimension'. I can sort of sense it now that I know what I'm looking for. It's absolutely perplexing. But things like magic and, er, electri-city can move through it in directions that we literally cannot comprehend."

Raynor nodded "Well, I'd call that a pretty major breakthrough. Although, it does ask some very interesting questions. Good job, ladies. Meeting over, everyone."

* * *

Over the next four years, the issue was largely considered solved. The Village of Anchor grew into the Town of Anchor, and ultimately The City of Anchor. The population had greatly increased, to nearly a total of five thousand and peace and justice reigned supreme, literally. Tyreal was elected leader of the city by overwhelming public favour, with even the lawbreakers he judged generally voting for him, because he was simply so good at giving people exactly what they deserved. His competitors, Raynor and Jaina were both defeated, even though the people loved them. The heroes didn't complain, and showed up to cheer as Tyreal formally accepted a leadership role. His sister Auriel was present also, and founded a combination of a clinic and church, where medicine and healing in all its forms was praised and studied and preached. The other supports were more than happy to contribute.

Another discovery that had been made in these four years was that the heroes were capable of having children, despite never aging. Currently, only nine were known to have started families despite the fact that they had to temporarily kill each other most days. Oddly, most of them agreed that bringing up their families was actually harder than fighting, simply because there was never any kind of break.

* * *

It was a wintery day when it happened. The city still had a wall to protect it, and the wall was actually manned with guards against wild animals and the occasional demonic invasion, but they were not expecting the snow to rise up into the shape of about fifty men, armed with weapons of ice, and charge them. A few guards were taken by surprise, and were felled by the charge before mages blasted the ranks with fire, reducing the moving sculptures to steam.

Raynor, commander of defence and his wife of three years Jaina, were listening intently to the story of one of the soldiers who'd faced the surprise attack.

"They were perfectly sculpted warriors, and they moved just like people. I nearly tried to call out to them until they charged, sir! But then they stabbed me with an icicle and I got overwhelmed, there were loads of 'em!" The soldier winced as Lt. Morales expertly bandaged his arm.

Jaina turned to Raynor "This is a big problem… I've memorised the entire library of monsters from every world, and these snow figures match none of them. This can only mean that there's either a new universe joining the nexus, or…" She looked worriedly at Raynor "A threat originating from the nexus itself."

* * *

A meeting was very quickly organised between all the heroes, held in the city hall. Attendance was mandatory, Tyreal had decided, which something he did not decide often was necessary. Even the Zerg, the Demons and Gul'dan were brought, from their various lairs in other stable areas of the nexus. Some rather brave, and incidentally well-paid residents had volunteered to stand in the necessary places to prevent them disappearing.

Tyreal looked out over the mass of slightly restless heroes. He tapped a microphone for attention, then set it down before speaking in a very well-projected voice "Greetings, heroes. I understand that not all of you wish to be here, so be quiet and I'll be quick. Late in the evening yesterday, a small force of fifty armed monsters were summoned to attack the city from the west. I will ask this only once: Did any of you have anything to do with it?" There was a deafening silence. "Very well. And do any of you know anything about it?" There was a short silence before Gul'dan stood up.

He only said one thing.

"Unfortunately… yes"

At this point, there was a rumbling outside. Li-ming looked outside the window to see a fresh wave of perfectly sculpted figures, some snow, but some also made of mud and stone. Tyreal banged the desk for attention. "Heroes! It appears they have returned. Spread out and protect the city, do not let them in! I sense great enmity within them."

They rushed out of the hall, and to the city's defence. Once they were ringed around the city, the scale of the problem became known. About six hundred warriors were marching towards the walls in total. Most were snow, plated in ice. They didn't even stand a chance against five heroes, all of them was beyond overkill. Kael'thas had developed a very longstanding rivalry with Sylvanas, and marched up to her as about a hundred warriors advanced. "Sylvanas, I think it's time we had another contest!" He chimed. "First to destroy their entire army wins!"

"You are completely immature, Kael. This is almost bad as when you challenged me to who could find the best date and…" She threw a shadow dagger with pinpoint accuracy, disabling most of the forces, which conveniently exploded.

"It _was_ a pretty good date in the end though, hm?" Said Kael'thas as he prepared a second flamestrike.

* * *

After the very one-sided fight, Everyone returned to the hall. The following discussion was long and boring, but half an hour later Tyreal was on a podium in front of the citizens of Anchor. "People of the Nexus" He announced "In response to the recent attacks, a plan has been formed. We will begin tracking down the ones who would threaten you unjustly, while attending to your defences. Temporary alliances have been secured between us and the other settlements, including even those who would normally be responsible for aggression between our kinds. As such, let it be known that until this crisis is resolved, all heroes are welcome within the borders of Anchor, even those whom were previously barred entry. The border guards will also be expanded to double size until the crisis is over. Does anyone wish to ask questions?" A young teenager stepped forwards.

"Does this crisis have a name? 'cause it should get one, Mr. Tyreal!"

"It seems appropriate to give this situation a name. Therefore, until it is over, these times shall be known as the Time of the Ground."

A little later, Chromie was preparing to set off to investigate the other areas in the randomness of the nexus alongside Sgt. Hammer. The newly hired babysitter was sitting in the corner, while her daughter, just turned one, gurgled in the cot, throwing a cuddly toy through the bars. The babysitter was suddenly handed a huge plastic box. "Now then, listen up." She looked at the sitter, a kindly woman who was in her fifties. "This box has absolutely anything you could possibly need in it. I know you don't have any experience caring for half-dragons, nobody does, but if anything goes wrong then the answer to your problems are in the box. I even wrote down what you need to do on some folders, they're marked with the dates the problems happen. But don't look at them too soon, ok? Oh, and don't tell anyone I gave you this. I'm not supposed to use future sight to my own ends." There was a knock on the door. "Okay, goodbye Sandy! Mom will be back soon!"

Hammer was waiting outside "Evening, missy. You all set?" she said, climbing into the tank.

"Oh, absolutely! I just had to make sure my daughter would be alright. How's yours getting along?" Chromie replied.

"Just managed to take her first steps yesterday. I'm so glad that I was there, I don't want to miss her growing up." Hammer finished, as the tank began to roll to the edge of the city.

Gul'dan was waiting with Medivh at the edge, with all other heroes already with him. He looked over the small crowd as Hammer arrived. "Excellent, now… It's time we shared the truth with you." He began. "From what I have found in my time here, this is a space between worlds. That is how there exist people from many realities here. However, this place seems open to influences of higher beings. Even us, mortal in the end, can change this world to our own ends. But there appears to be something more…"

Medivh picked up "We have believed for a long time that there is a small group of forces that directly control everything that surrounds this place. Ever since Li-ming found the energy leading to another realm, we were suspicious, but yesterday, we confirmed it."

"This small group is responsible for the attacks, and so we're going to be tracking them down. Our method is simple: We're going to use the realm lords to reach the place where the group is hidden. I've already bargained for transport there, in the form of assisting the lords with a problem they're having." Gul'dan finished.

"Okay, but how do we get to these lords? Are we just going to get warped to their world like we do for the battles?"

"Yes." And the small crowd disappeared.

 **Author's notes: Okay, so the reason I wanted those pairings; there will be ten children that appear later in the story. I basically wanted to try making some characters. They won't appear for a while though. Also, I'm still trying to make a linebreak. Edit: fixed some canonicality issues.**

 **Lucario: Yes, I think the whole modelling fiasco is definitely linked to her lack of skins. Making even one model is really hard, making four? That's a HUGE workload, even for Blizzard.**

 **Tinh: Your pairing was challenging, to say the least. I didn't want to make them too out of character, so I had to settle for 'Rivalry that grew on them'. Did I do it right?**


	4. Chapter 4

Ch.4: One night in Ravencourt

The heroes materialised in Ravencourt, outside the usual arena. It was a tiny village, overlooked by the biggest, most extravagant mansion and estate that the heroes had ever seen. Whoever had built the mansion had clearly had no shortage of skill. Materials were ingeniously used as both decoration and structure, with elaborately carved stone ravens adorning the roof. The building had been made in a darker colour scheme, using slate as a major feature, and the expansive garden was reminiscent of the designs seen in Ravencourt's area, but hundreds of tiny black and purple flowers were lined perfectly straight along the edge of the path.

A stick-thin man in a dark business suit walked up the path towards the heroes. He held himself with clear pride, and carried a cane topped with a small silver raven. His jet-black hair was oiled and swept back, and his eyes seemed only to analyse coldly. There was no doubt between anyone. This was the raven lord.

"Good evening, heroes, and welcome to Ravencourt." He said it like he was a king hosting a meal, rather than addressing a team with enough power to flatten a mountain. "I'll be skipping the formalities and introductions for your visit to Ravencourt, and questions will not be asked or answered at the end. Any objections? No? Good." He gestured to the sky, which was just on the brink of sunset.

"Now, the reason for my haste is that it is currently six o' clock. At Eight, Ravencourt will be attacked by the same otherworldly forces that threatened your realm. I can fend them off easily, and alone. Even my villagers are perfectly capable of taking an axe to their foes. The problem is that these foes are much more powerful when freshly summoned, and I cannot track down and destroy the sources they appear from. I am tasking you with ending the siege of Ravencourt. They will cease to be summoned, and their entry points will close at precisely midnight, when I am strongest. If you can successfully destroy all their points of entry, I can seal them out of this realm. You have two hours to organise yourselves. And most importantly; Return to my mansion by midnight or my seal will trap you within the realm. Now, get to work." There was a slight breeze before the Raven lord was replaced by an actual Raven, which flew into the mansion through the window.

" _Rude._ " Said Kael'thas.

Sonya turned and looked over the village. "We should hurry. Time is short. We must be ready to go. Chen, you're with me. And I need another three people to fight at my best." The panda in question simply nodded, and adjusted his hat.

"We ought to spread ourselves out, in at least five groups. As long as each of them has a healer, we'll be very difficult to bring down." Rexxar pointed out.

Nazeebo spoke up as they began to walk towards the village "It would be a wise decision to group those who have strong bonds together. Anyone will fight harder in the presence of a loved one. Although, I see that many of you have already grouped with your significant others" He looked to Brightwing, who was guiding Dehaka along, and Tychus who was sitting on the front of Hammer's tank, grinning like a fool. A little behind, Chromie was being given a lift by Rehgar and Tracer was talking to Tassadar as they walked. Falstad glided overhead with Li-ming riding with him.

They arrived at the town shortly, and promptly split up. The strategy Tyrande had proposed was simple, and all the more effective due to that. Tassadar and Brightwing were to cast their area reveals as often as possible to find the entry points in complex areas such as forests, and the rest of the group were to sweep the open areas. There was a large clock tower visible in the centre of the village, and the heroes looked upon it from afar as it slowly ticked to…

* * *

8:00

The sky darkened in a matter of seconds, not unlike the curse the realm's lord often used. Lightning crackled through the clear sky, without any cloud to have sprung from. In some fields to the south of the village, a group of heroes comprising Chen, Sonya, Valla, Illidan, Artanis, Zeratul and Malfurion were the first to see a portal form. Grass was ripped from the ground by an invisible force, and the leaves from a nearby tree soon joined the swirling green mess, which spat out a warrior that was shaped identically to the snow fighters from Anchor, but this time was a body of grass and hay, plated in bark and armed with an oaken club. Malfurion was less than amused.

"Wretched force. You dare disrespect the natural orders to this extent?" He called down Moonfire to burn it, and was moderately surprised to see that it was only weakened, not dead.

Illidan flipped over Malfurion and lunged for the figure, cutting it neatly in two. "Brother, do not forget they are stronger when freshly summoned. Now, how do we destroy the rift?" He swung at it with his glaive, but it simply passed through the leaves and grass, which kept swirling.

Sonya slammed it with her blades. Malfurion tried to counter-control it. Zeratul froze it in time briefly. Finally, Chen burned it, which succeeded in making everything smell like brew, and did actually stop it from doing anything else. "I think that we must destroy the objects they use, hm?" He said to the rest of the group.

* * *

Brightwing, Dehaka, Falstad, ETC, Li-ming and from a very far distance, Abathur started in the heart of the forest. Dehaka burrowed out into a hill that made a great vantage point, and was warped to by Brightwing, showing them everything in the surrounding area. Falstad soared over , while Li-ming peered down over the edge of the gryphon. She couldn't see anything resembling a portal, but she could see a few of the strange summoned warriors advancing towards the town. They descended to the altitude of the rest of the group, and pointed towards the enemy team with a shout of "This way!"

These warriors were plated in bark just like the ones encountered by the other group, but had bodies made of mosses and larger leaves as a result of the environment. Li-ming dived straight in to blow them up with arcane orbs, as per usual, and was very surprised to find that she couldn't achieve Critical Mass against them. The clubs, while having dulled impacts, were still very painful weapons to get whacked by, and Li-ming was on the verge of getting overwhelmed when the rest of the group caught up to her reckless dive, and lent a hand. Dehaka was a very welcome wall of muscle and armour that the clubs just couldn't do meaningful damage to, Brightwing drove back the immediate attackers with her own arcane magic, and Falstad didn't even hesitate to use the Hinterland blast. The trees were blasted away in a line almost a hundred metres long, and the attackers reduced to a charred lump.

"Hah, sorry for the overkill there! But I'm not just going to stay back and let you get hurt." Falstad called to a rapidly recovering Li-ming.

Li-ming brushed a non-existent bit of dirt off her shoulder. "I'm happy that you care so much. Don't apologize for wiping out their entire team." She peered ahead, seeing another enemy come out of the brush. "There! Everyone, come with me!" She let Dehaka lead this time, and they charged up to the clearing. There was a swirling mass, nearly identical to the one the other team had found.

Brightwing was somewhat agitated by it. "This..! Is very bad! We should destroy it, friends." Unlike the other team, they were able to quickly disable it, as the first thing to be used against it was an exploding hammer.

At the town, there was a much smaller team. Chromie, Hammer, Azmodan and Abathur were stationed around the town, and were preparing to defend it with their much longer ranges. The residents had been very pleased to know that the forces attacking them would be weakened, but had still deployed their guards in case. Hammer was the primary defender. Her cannon never missed, reducing wave after wave of incoming warriors to dust. Azmodan was the second line of defence. Every few seconds, he threw a globe of annihilation into the patches of invaders with the highest concentration. Even though it was rarely enough to wipe them out alone, the shots he occasionally empowered with Black Pool were enough to instantly destroy anything. Chromie and Abathur were the lookout and the group's support. Chromie set traps at the entrances, to buy a precious few seconds if they were overrun, and Abathur was boosting the tank's rate of fire with symbiote. They were maintaining a nearly perfect circle around the village.

* * *

9:00

Tassadar's team was having the hardest time. Tassadar had located and wiped out two portals with ease, the groups of foes burning down instantly courtesy of Kael'thas. Muradin was a much more literal wall against anything that didn't get one-strike destroyed by Kael. And Morales was never more than a metre away from her spouse, her healing beam only switching target if Tracer was particularly unlucky and got hit by enough enemies to break the shields Tassadar heaped upon her. But despite their amazing start, they'd run across a problem seriously slowing their progress. There was a small mountain at the back of the forest, and a rift had appeared on top of it. Unlike the previous ones, made of snow or plants which were simple enough to deal with, this one spat out several warriors made of stone, plated in raw iron. They carried axes, and were at full power, having just been summoned. They shrugged off a flamestrike, and actually did some damage to Muradin. The only weapons that were really making a dent in them were Tracer's pulse pistols, but the basic attacks of the other heroes made notably more impact for effort than spells.

Sylvanas worked out what their style was first. "They're resistant to magic!" She yelled, peppering one with withering fire. "We need someone that doesn't rely on mana!"

"Allow me to summon the appropriate allies." Tassadar's eyes dimmed as he briefly entered a state of meditation _'Zagara… Illidan… and Tychus. Your aid is required.'_ The message flickered throughout the realm, heard by many, the targets included. "Now…" He said, turning his attention to the growing number of warriors that were trying to push past Muradin. "It's time I contributed. ARCHON!" His body grew to double size, as sleek grey armour protected him alongside a powerful shield. Psionic power crackled in his hands, as he unleashed some real damage upon his foes.

The battle was largely even. With the knowledge that this type of warrior was resistant to magic, the heroes weren't wasting their power on barely-effective attacks, and were focusing on utility moves. However, Morales' suit couldn't hold the healing beam forever. It eventually flickered out, and then Muradin had little choice but to start backing off, as the warriors pushed in.

And suddenly, help arrived. Zagara emerged from the bushes, spitting acid and spikes, and Illidan flew in with his ultimate technique. Tychus pulled up in a vulture a minute later, and the tide of battle shifted dramatically. Illidan's glaives were able to cut huge gashes into the armour of the enemy, and he was as difficult to land a hit on as the wind itself. Zagara provided forces that allowed Muradin to step back without fear of exposing his team. And Tychus's minigun was in a class of its own. It mowed through the durable statues like they were little more than plaster, and the mining drill that had been dispatched certainly didn't hurt his chances, being explicitly designed for rock cutting. They cut a path to the rift in mere minutes.

"Loves, we need to take out this thing!" Tracer flipped over the head of a statue, firing her guns at the vortex. Their effect was negligible, but served as a pointer for Tassadar.

"We need some kind of weapon designed to destroy stone." He stated, zapping another statue into gravel. "Wait, I have a plan. I need a minute, guard me." He dropped out of Archon mode, re-entering meditation. _'Sergeant Hammer. We require your help. You must use your special gun to destroy a target. I will make it visible now.'_ His eyes glowed once more, as he thrust a hand into the air and projected a beam of light to the skies.

* * *

11:00

Hammer could see the beacon clearly, and zoomed in on the faraway fight with the tank's cameras. She could see the rift, illuminated by Tassadar's psionics. She didn't say a thing, but she flipped open a large red button with a smile. After a few seconds, she broke the silence with her trademark shout of "Time for the Big Guns!" And the BFG missile rocketed out of the internal cannon. She looked back to the camera screen, watching as it travelled.

Malfuion looked up to see the missile rush past overhead. He frowned a little, but knew it was for a good cause. Zeratul and Artanis nodded approvingly.

Brightwing turned to see the behemoth of white-hot metal roar over the party. "Pretty!" She chirped.

And Tassadar could sense it coming, and projected a thought to the nearby heroes at full volume. "GET DOWN!" Everyone wasted no time in hitting the floor, as the rocket slammed into the rift and blew it to pieces. The missile wasn't even stopped by this, and kept on going into the horizon.

* * *

11:30

The groups had pulled back quickly once it was clear that there were no other rifts. The task had been completed without a hitch, and the town guard hadn't needed to lift a finger. The heroes had wasted no time returning to the mansion.

Raynor was talking to Diablo "You know… I'm kinda surprised that it was so easy to convince you and your subordinates to join us so easily. I'd sort of expect you'd side with those things, being the literal embodiment of evil and all. And I know you've actually sided with us, the angels can sense lies."

"Well, I _would_ love to rip your soul out and crush your forces, but evil does not equate to idiot. I'm not going to be able to defeat all your allies by raw force with the limiting powers of this place. And I will not allow my reputation and might to be upstaged by some pathetic statues" Diablo responded.

The group walked on.

They were somewhat surprised to find the Raven Lord waiting for them at the gates, cane in hand. He gestured his hand to the left, and the gates swung open, moved by enchantment.

"Welcome back, heroes. Congratulations on your little victory, but there is much more to be done. The other realms are still under threat from these irritating pests." He said in a somewhat pleased drawl "I will begin to seal my realm against further attacks now, but before that, I'll send you on your way. Come to the courtyard."

The heroes walked after him in a group, coming to the same place they had arrived. However, pale blue runes now glowed softly around the edges of the garden. The raven lord turned to face the party. "Now… I'll see you, hmm… Never again personally, I should hope!" The runes crackled. And the heroes were flung through the dimensions.

 **Author's notes: It always bothered me that despite it being given as the justification that HotS has no plot, there is actually no fanfiction about Raynor meeting Diablo.**

 **Tinh: You don't need to apologize for being excited, I'm flattered that you like it so much.**

 **Lucario: Yes, but you won't be learning anything beyond that for quite a few chapters, hehe. I'm acutely aware of the Mary-sue trap, and I will be avoiding it like the plague.**

 **Your feedback is always appreciated! All comments will be answered!**


	5. Chapter 5

Ch.5 The Queen of Spades

The heroes appeared in the middle of a patch of rosebushes. As pretty as this looked for the watching lady, lying down on a bed of spikes is very rarely a comfortable experience. Lying down on an enchanted, extra-large bed of spikes? Even less likely. Diablo roared in annoyance, and attempted to burn it away with a stamp, and was disgusted to find that the roses were utterly unaffected.

A laugh came from the onlooker, before another lady next to her said "Have you had your fun, sister? Because we need their help."

"Oh, fine." Queen Nightshade, as the heroes recognised her, clicked a finger and the roses withdrew into the earth. The heroes stood up, and brushed themselves off. Most of them gave the pair of ladies a look, before Lunara cantered up.

"So, we've been told that you're having problems with your lands. Can you explain?" She said.

Nightshade laughed, as her sister dressed in pink looked on. "What, no comment about my fabulous roses? No warning not to do it again?"

The other noble sighed "Greetings, heroes. I am the Lady of the Shire, and sister to Nightshade. I'm afraid that she isn't taking this seriously, so I shall explain." She beckoned some of the heroes to come closer. "I'll start with a little history of our two worlds. One hundred years ago, the shire and the garden were the same place. However, at this time, our kingdom was attacked by a rampantly growing plant species. The timeline splits there. In my world, the kingdom put up an endless struggle against the oncoming plants. We drove them back, day after day. Eventually, we awakened the ancient dragons of our land, and used their fire to scorch the earth. But in Nightshade's world, the war could not be won. Our knights fell before the endless jungles, and in a last, desperate act, Nightshade attempted to become the queen of nature, and call back the weeds. She was driven mad, and assisted them in destroying what was left of the shire."

Nightshade scoffed "We're not really sisters, you know! We're the same person from two paths of history!"

"That's meant to be a secret, Nightshade. Now, about the threat. There are only two here, but they will need some skill to face. This force has created copies of our most prized troops, and we implore you to destroy them. You will be split between the timelines to do this, so organise yourselves now." The Lady waited, as the heroes split into their groups.

The Lady spoke "Now… To the shire!" and half the heroes were flung through reality.

The remaining half looked to Nightshade. "Your challenge is over the hill. I'll see you shortly."

As they crested the hill, the 'challenge' was made apparent. Six garden terrors were standing in line, each with hints of elements that did not belong on them. Lunara made a sour face. "Ugh, it's bad enough when they just animate a bunch of leaves. Couldn't they just use stupid robots like all the other nature-defilers?"

Tyrande announced her strategy "We can defeat them with hit and run tactics. We can all outrun them, and they are restricted to close combat."

They charged in, spells prepared. What happened next was unexpected. The ground erupted in vines. Not the usual, telegraphed burst, a continuous stream came out directly for the heroes. Most dodged easily. However, Malfurion was caught off-guard, and a vine caught him and pulled him back towards the terrors. It all went downhill from there, Brightwing and Illidan rushing after him with a shout of 'Shan'do!' and 'Brother!' respectively. And then it was three against six. Illidan couldn't dodge forever. The healers couldn't outheal this.

Stitches shouted "Oyy! Kill… dat one!" Pointing to the closest terror. Tyrande, a little shocked over how fast everything fell apart, marked it and riddled it with arrows, Jaina and Greymane's spells finishing it quickly. Stitches called again "Now… move away." He threw a hook. It made things slightly better, as it rescued Malfurion from further injury. The terrors were now overbearing for the other two. Valla and Dehaka engaged at this point, Valla strafed the targets with her crossbows, and Dehaka waded in and physically dragged one of the terrors away, creating an opening to escape from. The two beaten heroes wasted no time in leaving, and collapsed once they were in the relative safety of the backline. Five terrors remained, and retreat wasn't an option if everyone was getting out without deaths. Lunara was putting out huge damage through her poisons, and Diablo was wrestling with one of the more aggressive terrors. The Butcher was hacking away like the demon it was, and in very little time, the second terror fell. Dehaka was struggling at this point. Even with Adaptation, he could only take so much punishment before the damage began to get to him. ETC solved this problem with Mosh pit, generating another opening for him to leave. Jaina followed through with her full rotation of spells, causing two more to outright shatter. The remaining two were locked in place, and easy pickings for Gul'dan's afflictions.

Everyone stepped back. "Well, that wasn't quite what I planned." Tyrande commented. "Are you five okay?" She looked to Malfurion, Illidan, Brightwing, Dehaka, and Gul'dan. The injuries ranged from superficial, in the case of Gul'dan, to severe, such as everyone else. It was a unanimous agreement that they could take a few minutes to get some rest.

* * *

The other half of the heroes materialised at the courtyard of a castle, with a huge and imposing pair of iron doors facing the outside world. Falstad was the first to react, and offered to run some recon of the surrounding area. As he rose above the walls, he immediately ducked back down as a jet of fire gave him an impromptu haircut.

Uther took charge. "This castle is built in a similar fashion to Lorderon's old palace. We may be able to find some ballista on the walls, and the gatehouse's door mechanism is directly above it. It's safe to presume we're dealing with the dragon knight, judging by those flames. Muradin, Sonya, Chen. I want you in front, as you can get back there after he knocks you away. Once he's lost momentum, Try and hold him in the gatehouse with Xul and Tassadar, and we can use the magic of Kael'thas and Chromie to destroy him." He removed Falstad's burns with a lift of his hands. On the walls, it became clear that the ballistae were not going to be useful, since they were all cinders. Broken weapons and half-melted armour littered the floor, making it all too clear that battles had been lost here before. Thankfully, the gate's lever was intact. Li-ming offered to pull it, so she could still assist from up here with her long range. She dared not look out the window, in case she was picked off by a quick flame jet. That would be embarrassing.

Falstad was hovering outside the window, relaying Uther's countdown. "Okay, Three, two, one." Li-ming wrenched the lever from left to right, and the gates clunked open.

This plan didn't work for long either, but it didn't go as wrong as the other one. The only problem was that there were four Dragon knights, not one. The entire frontline were kicked away like footballs, and Tassadar's force wall couldn't hold them back for long, even with Xul's skeletal mages backing it up. Kael and Chromie still had enough time to blast away at them freely, and Zeratul weaved in-between them, slashing at weak points with incredible precision. Nova called down her full arsenal against the centre of their forces, weakening them. At this point, the warriors re-engaged, Alarak and Uther joining the fray. Chen and Sonya put one through the combo that was simply dubbed 'the washing machine', Muradin sent one hurtling into a wall with a brutal punch, and Artanis and Alarak were a positively terrifying duo, an undying storm of blades. Uther was in the middle of all this, swinging his hammer like he was twenty years younger and leading his paladins to victory. He erased his teams injuries without hesitation. Morales applied a stim drone to Hammer, and it was all over.

Everyone looked over the fallen foes, which rapidly dissolved, leaving behind no trace of their existence. Morales took a moment to patch everyone up. "Are you all ok?" She asked, before turning off the healing beam. The heroes then disappeared, as they were warped back to the Garden of terror.

* * *

"Ah, well done indeed heroes. I almost wish I wasn't going to… to… Ah, here are the others." Said Nightshade to the heroes that hadn't gone to Dragon shire. The others materialised out of thin air, as she picked up her conversation where she left off. "Right then, now that you're all here, I simply must tell you something important." The heroes regarded her with a quizzical look "From here on out, your immortality isn't going to work. You see, us realm lords are responsible for that and we're a bit low on funds. So… Sis, where are we sending them?"

The Lady of the Shire looked over the moderately horrified heroes. "Your immortality does still work. However, we cannot cause you to be resurrected in our realms. If you fall, you will reappear in the base dimension, with no way to reach us. Additionally, I have received word from Ka. His powers are failing him, and severely at that. He needs your help urgently, or he will fall. I will prepare to send you on your way." She held a hand over her heart, and a warm breeze swept through the crowd.

Nightshade shouted "Enjoy the sweet taste of loyalty!" and they were gone.

* * *

They appeared in the sky temple. It was desolate, eerily so. Johanna was the first to speak. "Did Nightshade say… loyalty? What could she mean by enjoying loyalty? Angels, is someone going to betray us?"

Auriel replied "No. I can feel the hearts of this group, and none of us have any cause but to fight these forces. Nightshade's mind is gone. I could not sense a heart within her. Yet…"

At this point, there was a colossal SNAP sound, and then a very old man, dressed in gold and with the eyes of an eagle, walked up to the group.

"Welcome, to the sky temple's sunset."

 **Author's notes: Three realms down, a few more to go. It's always been suspected that Dragon shire and the Garden of terror are linked, thanks to the overgrown statue at the top of the garden, so here's my explanation as to how.**

 **Out of interest, should I design abilities for the children? I might as well go all the way, if I'm making OC's.**

 **Lucario: That's exactly what I'm doing, nicely caught.**

 **Tinh: I'll give all the children detailed descriptions at the time I introduce them, but until then, my lips are sealed.**

 **As requested, the pairings are:**

 **Brightwing and Dehaka**

 **Jaina and Raynor**

 **Nova and Kharazim**

 **Sonya and Chen**

 **Lt. Morales and Muradin**

 **Sgt. Hammer and Tychus**

 **Li-ming and Falstad**

 **Valla and Illidan**

 **Chromie and Rehgar**

 **Tracer and Tassadar**


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6 Sunset

Ka took a few steps forwards, and collapsed.

Kharazim stepped forward, and caught the ancient god gracefully. "Are you alright? It is most unlike a divine being to appear before the masses." He helped him to his feet, and dragged a nearby urn over for the old man to sit on.

Ka sat there with his head in his hands. "The temple… my power… all is… lost." Auriel floated forwards, and rested a hand upon his shoulder. He looked up, with just a little less despair in his eyes. He took a deep breath "I am old. Old as the sands of time themselves. I need to be reborn, as I have been many times before, in order that my power is renewed. Yet, I cannot be reborn while my temple is under such grave threat." He coughed, sand trickling from his eyes. "This temple is kept afloat by its chains, which are attached to the magic of the air itself. The Nexus forces are attempting to destroy them. Heroes, protect the chains until I am…" He suddenly caught fire, and burned as brightly as the sun's glare catching a jewel. After only a few seconds, nothing was left.

At the exact same moment, the sky went from blue to black, devoid of warmth. Kharazim spoke to the group. "Everyone, Ka will be reborn shortly. We must keep this temple in the air until that happens. Where are the chains located?"

Nova raised a hand "There are four main groups of chains, one at each of the top and bottom lane forts. We can allocate fourteen heroes to each fort, but all the groups will need to meet specific requirements. The sun isn't here now, so our only light is that of the torches on the forts. Also, it's getting very cold, very fast. If anyone here can't survive the cold, then they'll need to stay near someone that can generate a lot of heat."

Somebody called from a few metres away. "Hello? Are you the heroes? I… I can help!" they turned to see one of the generic lane minions from the temple, armed with his standard khopesh blade. "I'm a gladiator of Ka. There are about sixty of us, in total. We fight to entertain him, when you all show up, and we are brought back to life as you are. We could use your help defending the forts, we can't keep them away from the chains much longer! The biggest threat is at the lower red fort. Please, go there quickly."

"Global heroes! Get down there!" Shouted Raynor. ETC performed his stage dive, Dehaka burrowed into the ground, Falstad lifted off, Brightwing disappeared, and Illidan shortly followed.

The gladiator continued "Okay, that's good. You can send some more though, they might have trouble holding it alone if my team was wiped out. I think I'd better get back down there now." He holstered his blade and sprinted off.

* * *

The heroes split up quickly, some taking the medivac to the top to quickly reinforce it, and the rest dashing there on their various mounts, which they were very glad they were still able to summon. A team of the demons lead by Kael'thas was the first to reach the aforementioned bottom right fort, and it was a horror for anyone that didn't have the ability to cause a large number of explosions. The nexus forces had used sand as the base component of these bodies, and they were causing a sandstorm that all but negated the accuracy of basic attacks. Falstad's hammer was the only thing really doing any damage against them, and the minions were nowhere to be seen. ETC was keeping them away from the chains with his blasting music, but he couldn't use it fast enough. However, he had caused them to all group up, and anyone who's seen Kael'thas fight can tell you exactly why that's a really bad idea.

Kael'thas grinned "Now, without the limits of the lords… Malorei, Ignite!" He struck a dramatic pose and thrust one hand into the air. He cast a spell that had long since been forbidden by the lords, and when his flamestrike hit, every single one of the sand warriors had a living bomb applied. It was like watching a fireworks display. There was physically so much fire it was dazzling, and so many things exploding that it was deafening. The temperature jumped back to that of a clear noon. The warriors were blown to glass, which was in turn shattered, and made no more attempts to move. When the smoke cleared, ETC could be seen with a blackened front, trying to brush some of the soot out of his fur.

* * *

At the top left, things were going badly for Raynor. He could normally rely on his machine gun to take care of most of his problems, but this time, it was little more than a high-recoil hand warmer. Jaina was dealing with the majority of the foes with a constant stream of frostbolts from both herself and her water elemental. Malfurion was able to slow them down through roots, somehow, and his moonfire was basically always being cast. But Jaina couldn't cast her spells frequently enough to keep them away permanently, and even though Malfurion was helping her body prepare itself to cast it's next spell, Innervate was a very difficult move to use. Johanna and Uther, firm friends since the day they'd met, marched in, and stalled the enemy approach even further with repeated condemns and magic hammers. Together, they were just able to hold back the ever-advancing waves for long enough that Jaina could re-cast her blizzard. The fort, operated by the few surviving minions, was able to hit targets that got too far forward with its cannon, that was thankfully able to actually damage the targets.

The top right was definitely where things were at their best. All four Protoss, Chromie and Rehgar were easily handling their mindless foes, who were forced to walk through time-slowed sands in order to reach their target, but this was significantly more dangerous if there were four incredibly powerful beings casting storms of unavoidable energy into the sands. And in the unlikely event that they made it through that, then Rehgar could just drop an earthbind totem, electrify it and laugh.

And the lower left. Well. The heroes weren't dead yet. However, when they arrived, the fort had been destroyed, and the chains were already cracked at the base, as though a sledgehammer was smashed there. They found that among the regular sand figures that Thrall had basically been expecting, there was occasionally a figure of dusty air. At first, they thought it was a joke, a failed summon. However, as it got close it produced a hammer that was wildly swung around as if in a tornado. It broke against the Doomhammer, but still was enough to knock Thrall back a few steps. Nova dispatched it with a headshot, and engaged a second one in hand-to-hand, an action she normally wouldn't consider, but in this one case they left such a beautiful hole in their defences that she simply couldn't resist putting it into an armlock and smoothly transitioning into a neck snap. It actually worked, despite the fact it was just solid air. But this team as a whole was unprepared to deal with such evasive foes, and the designated damage dealers, Gul'dan and Greymane were running out of stamina. Auriel was having problems keeping Gul'dan's health high enough for him to make good use of his arsenal, and slowly but surely they were bearing down on the all-important chains. Thrall caused an Earthquake, buying a precious few seconds, and Guldan made meteors fall at his command, but it wasn't enough. Thrall was running out of mana. Auriel couldn't keep up with the demand for life. Greymane was reduced to throwing bottles. Gul'dan's magic was taking its toll. Everyone was getting cold. The warriors were unending. And then, the dust forces broke through. Three of them went mad with their hammers, smashing away not only the chain but the land itself. And it had already been weakened by Thrall's Earthquake and Gul'dan's Rain of Destruction. The whole area, where the fort was previously situated, rumbled and fell away from the temple.

The global heroes and the Demons heard a thunderous sound of stone splitting and land breaking from a few hundred meters away, and ran to check, while Kael'thas continued to blow up anything that got too close. They found a very literal nothing. The section had fallen away, into the abyss. Illidan stepped forth, the others hanging back at a respectful distance. He knelt and looked down into the sunless void "I sympathize, Gul'dan. I'll see you later, when this is over. Everyone, get back to our fort. We can't afford to lose that one." They returned, and began fighting once more, much to the relief of Kael'thas.

* * *

Falling down was beyond terrifying. Nova, Thrall, Gul'dan, Greymane, Arthas, Anub'arak, Auriel, The Vikings and Kharazim scrambled for footing as the land plummeted. But there was no footing to be found. Auriel was the only one who could have escaped if she wished, but she stayed with everyone for the fall. The darkness grew darker somehow, consuming all light. Now there was little more than a feeling of falling, and the rush of air. They fell. They fell for minutes, minutes that felt like days. And then suddenly, there was light.

* * *

Raynor's group was the next target of the dust bodies. They attacked without warning, but found a much more severe resistance than the previous group, with the combined powers of Tyrande and Malfurion able to stall them very effectively, as well as the fort's cannons. Kerrigan joined in against them, as they were more vulnerable to her fighting style, and Raynor's gun rattled to life, emptying clip after clip into the target. "Still got it, Sarah! Jaina, I've got this side covered! You can take a breather." Raynor shouted. Jaina blushed a little at his casual mention of Kerrigan's first name, but Kerrigan didn't care.

"Just like old times, Jim! Get your wife over here for a second and blow up these sandy ones for me?" Kerrigan shouted back. Jaina was happy to provide, as the trio fought on.

Chromie was beginning to tire. Time manipulation was always an exhausting pursuit, even just slowing it down in an area. She was considering dropping her gnome form to conserve the extra few units of mana she spent keeping up the appearance, even though she knew it realistically wouldn't make a difference.

Jaina was beginning to run out of power too, even with Malfurion's constant innervates. They were on the verge of collapse, when they felt… something. It felt like a warm breeze. But there was no wind. It felt like staring at a bright light. But there was very little light. And suddenly, a booming voice rang out.

"I AM REBORN. HEROES, I EMPOWER YOU."

The sun blazed into existence. The fallen gladiators rose to their feet, wounds burning and closing, weapons glowing with sun-like fire. And the heroes felt a surge of unparalleled power rush through them. They could feel its effect, even without any announcement. All of the bonuses they could add to their abilities were active. Even the ones they'd given up for new powers or been forbidden from using. They had everything. Their mana was filled to nigh overflowing, and they felt like they could cast as fast as the spells completed. They could. It went from a struggle to an outright stomping. Nazeebo coated his area in spiders. Artanis turned into an unkillable slashing machine. Kael'thas began shouting "BEHOLD, the POWER of the sun!" and added a few more layers of explosions. It was amazing to watch, as long as you weren't on the receiving end. The enemies were routed in under a minute.

They walked to the center of the temple, feeling the buff dissipate after a bit. Ka, in his new incarnation, was waiting for them. He was no longer an ancient man. He now had the look of a man about fifty, and rippled with muscles. He looked like he could pick up the sun that he owned, and slam it onto an invader's head if the need arose. He had a set of simple, white trousers with smooth golden plates of armour covering his forearms and waist. A necklace of feathers was strung around his neck, with a yellow crystalline sun as the centrepiece. His dark skin somehow shone with an inner light, like a supernova held back. His face conveyed kingly patience and godly rightfulness. It was a sight to behold. "Greeting, heroes" Yet his voice was unchanged, the only true sign of his age. "My temple has been… mostly protected. I deem you worthy to continue. You can reach the realm of Neithis from here, by entering the crypt. Aide, to my side." The gladiator from earlier walked up from the side, and knelt. "You are to open the crypt, and allow their passage. Now… I know that some of your number have been lost." The heroes looked around in quiet panic, realising how many of them had gone missing. "They have fallen with a section of my temple. I cannot rescue them, as they are beyond my reach. But as a god of the sands, I am privy to some of the secrets of the future. You will see them again. Now, Neithis is waiting. I bid you safe travel, heroes." He looked to the sky, and glowed faintly before disappearing.

Nazeebo was contemplative, as they walked to the crypt. He couldn't help but try and think of ways they might survive a fall like that.

"I know we'll have to keep going but… I can't believe they could be defeated. I hope they're okay…" and suddenly, he had an idea. "Hope. Hope, everyone! Auriel is with them. Send them your hope!" Said Nazeebo.

* * *

They were still falling. And then, without warning, there was light, and ground below them. Gul'dan, resistant to fear, twisted around to look behind him, and saw only a cloudy sky with no hint of a flying temple or falling debris. There was no question, they were in a different realm. But which one? Auriel was still flying beside the heroes. They were falling at terminal velocity, and had nothing to slow themselves down. New realm or not, it meant nothing if they were dead. And suddenly, Auriel began to glow. She began to burn. Al'maesh extended from her wrists, streaming behind her further and further. She flew in front of the heroes, perfectly serene, ribbons trailing into the stratosphere. She clasped he hands together, and said quietly "There is always hope". They began to slow. They slowed quickly, to the point the wind no longer roared past them, merely whistled. The impact with the floor might have sprained an ankle for normal people, but for the heroes, it was as gentle as a bed. Auriel floated behind them, her cord shrinking down to normal size.

"Where IS this?" Said Gul'dan, looking around to see some derelict, mossy forts, an old wooden shack, and a few lane minions playing Hearthstone by a rusted gate.

"This" Said a new voice "Is the Haunted Mines, my realm."

 **Author's notes: So, the swords that the Egyptian melee minions carry actually have a name, I found out. Khopesh. You learn something new every day. They're real swords, too. Good for disarming people, used by royal guardsmen.**

 **Tinh: Congratulations on getting an account! I hope you enjoy your time here. I think I can keep ten extra characters in balance, since I'm currently juggling over fifty, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. But I suppose we'll see, eh?**

 **Lucario: I don't think it would be too hard, since you could kite them very easily. That's what those dragging vines were for, limiting the ability to kite them. And besides, Morales practically trivialises them.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Beyond the graves

At the haunted mines, the small group turned to face the Grave keeper. He was a middle-aged man in an old and dusty suit, in need of some new stitching at the cuffs and pockets. He had a tophat, but the top had been crumpled, as if sat on, and the brim had a slice cut out of it. His face was relatively pale and wrinkled, not quite on the same level as Xul, but white nonetheless. His collar was half inside-out, and his tie was frayed at the edges. The most interesting thing about him was his hands. One was calloused, scarred and damaged, the hand of a miner. But the other one wasn't. It was missing any kind of skin or flesh whatsoever, and was simply the bones of a hand. Despite the lack of muscle, it moved just as easily and fluidly as the man's other hand. He gestured towards a rusted bench with some old tools abandoned against it.

"Take a seat, if you wish. Be careful not to lean back on it, we've never gotten round to fixing it." The Grave keeper said. Gul'dan, Greymane and Olaf accepted the offer.

The grave keeper removed his hat and addressed the group. "So… I suppose some of you are a little confused as to where you are. This is the Haunted mines, my domain. It was a battleground like the others, but it was sealed shut by the raven lord before some of you arrived. I'm the only one here powerful enough to create holes in his seal. What you can see are simply the remains of his forts. I've taken no care of them. Now, more importantly, do you know about the network of betrayals you face?"

Thrall frowned "Nightshade was very suspicious. And the Raven lord seemed a little untrustworthy. You mean to say they're actively working against us?"

The Gravekeeper gave a small smile. "You're absolutely right. The raven lord, Nightshade, Neithis, and very nearly myself conspired to get rid of you all. I had some second thoughts before we put our plan into motion, and now I'm stuck here courtesy of The Raven lord, officially missing to some lords and hated by the others."

Gul'dan spoke "So, what do we need to kill this time? I've yet to meet a higher power that doesn't want something."

"Well, quite frankly there's not much you can do for me here. You can take a day to rest, and then I'll send you to the new lord's realm. But before that, I'm going to have a bit of revenge and reveal everything I know. Does anyone want some tea?"

* * *

The heroes descended into the catacombs. There were unlit torches along the walls, clearly kept maintained by one of the gladiators. Kael'thas was lighting all of them from the front of the group, while Sylvanas grumbled behind him about how 'We don't need this much light, you upstart' After about a hundred metres, they came to a portal in the wall. It swirled with several hues of blue and green, showing a room illuminated with blue light. Kerrigan crossed her arms. "Come on. You can watch the lights later, right now we have a realm to save. Again."

The heroes proceeded through without further waiting. The atmosphere in the tomb was decidedly confining to most, though the zerg and demons didn't seem to care. The other side was a little better in that regard, but made up for it with slightly stale, musty air, low temperatures and spiders. Lots and lots of spiders. Jaina made a funny squeaking sound that loosely translated to internal screaming. Brightwing ate a few of them. Jaina turned a bit green. There was a hissing sound of pure fear above the group. Most looked upwards with their best straight faces. Diablo was smiling widely, and looked downright proud as Neithis descended from the shadowy mass of webs in the roof. She might once have been a beautiful lady, fine and regal. Her pale face now had closed eyes, and had begun to rot at the edges. A large dagger tip protruded from her chest, poking through her robes and stained with blood that had long since dried to a black stain on the blade. Her robes were once white and gold, similar to Ka's outfit but more covering, though they had long since yellowed with mildew. Her arms and legs were coated with a trembling mass of spiders. They became more common towards her hands, so much so it was impossible to tell exactly where her arms ended. She stepped forwards, still connected to the ceiling by a thousand threads of silk. "Greetings" She had not spoken personally. The voice had come from all around the room. The heroes realised with some horror, just what they were facing. Neithis was dead physically. But she was commanding these spiders from beyond the grave to use her own body as some kind of marionette. She was speaking with a thousand voices, and none of them were hers. "Heroes, welcome to the entrance to my tomb. My physical presence seems to be scaring you irrationally, so I shall be quick. I have been robbed. The invaders have stolen a truly exceptional object, and I must have it returned. They cannot leave for another hour, but they will work ruthlessly to keep a hold of my stolen treasure. Go now, and be quick to slay the foe that is not like the others."

Most of the heroes, ran out quickly through a small hole in the wall that opened. Raynor whispered something to Zagara, then hurried out with the others. Zagara and Diablo, the two remaining heroes faced the spider queen. Diablo grinned, and spoke to Neithis like a proud father to a daughter. "Excellent setup to inspire fear here. It takes a lot to rattle most of them, but you had nearly all the human ones showing cracks! I must respect that. Well done." Diablo then left.

Zagara took her turn to talk. "We request additional knowledge as to the nature of this object. What was stolen?"

Neithis's body bowed. "Ah, I did not mention? They have taken my wedding ring. It is the sole reminder of good times during my mortal life, before I was betrayed so cruelly. It is inset with a ruby, and surrounded by diamond. No other jewellery could match its craftsmanship.

Zagara turned to leave "It shall be found."

* * *

A skeleton in a suit walked up to the side of the Gravekeeper, carrying a tray of several cups of tea. It handed them out quickly, then turned and left. "Thank you, Charles." Said the Gravekeeper. He sipped his tea. "Now, a few years ago, the Raven Lord called for the removal of your kind. Heroes. He believed you were too great a threat to us, and could realistically win if you fought us. So, he wanted to strike first and remove any chance of opposition. However, myself, Ka, and the Lady of the Shire opposed him openly, saying that it would be more beneficial to hold your trust. But after the meeting, he approached me, and eventually convinced me that we should make some backup plans, in case his fears came to pass. That was my mistake. We worked together to find the controlling power of the nexus itself, in order that we might receive instructions on how to actually kill you permanently should the need arise. However, after we found the centre of the nexus, I realised the potential for betrayal was too great, and attempted to convince the Raven Lord that this location was as much knowledge as we needed. Suffice it to say, he was not impressed. And that, in short, is how I'm stuck here." He drained his cup. "Now, onto their plans, and what you can do next…"

* * *

In the tomb, Sylvanas was in her element. Kael'thas was attempting to challenge her to see who could defeat the special foe, and was losing clearly. The bodies were made of a cascade of ancient gold coins this time, with one very tough, very fast one made of jewels. It was essentially a case of herding it towards areas that a lot of heroes could attack it, since it moved faster than even a mount. It thankfully lacked any particularly dangerous attacks itself, apart from an unstoppable charge that had the power to displace most things hit, and that was used as an escape option. The golden ones were more than making up for the low danger of the jewelled foe, as they were able to blast coins with extreme force from their bodies. They switched between long ranged, tough to avoid conical blasts, and a devastating melee burst that was enough to knock even ETC away.

Sylvanas dashed after the diamond thief, vaulting over a surprized gold body and leaping through a wall with her ghostly magic. Illidan was barely ever touching the ground, doggedly pursuing his target as it sprinted tirelessly onwards. The main group of the heroes were dealing with the golden foes, who endlessly returned from rifts that just couldn't seem to be destroyed. The melee assassins were having a rough time, as any attempt to get in close resulted in a face full of coins. Kael'thas was leading the group's movement, mainly focused on cornering the target before Sylvanas could wear it down. This proved to be a dismal strategy, as the Golden fighters were able to wear down many targets more easily than they should have been able to, especially the supports. The spread needs for healing was somewhat offset by Brightwing, but she couldn't keep up and Uther's radiance wasn't going to be able to keep everyone alive forever. The group ground to a halt, desperately needing to protect injured heroes that had been caught off-guard, notably Lunara and Jaina, who'd actually been knocked over by a particularly nasty shot. Raynor was in front of the follow up attack before anyone else could even begin to react. His armour was not designed for soaking up damage, but for Jaina, he was a wall. His gun blazed, blowing the unfortunate target away, as a follow-up attack from Hammer and Tychus dispatched another two foes that had been closing in.

The Zerg, led by Kerrigan, had branched away from the main group and set up a separate ambush point. Kerrigan leapt from the shadows at the ever-fleeing diamond body, and it changed its path away from her as expected, since it didn't know that Zagara and Dehaka had burrowed into the nearby vent. It dashed in with Olympic posture, and was promptly stuck to Dehaka's tongue, and subjected to the full wrath of three Zerg, a night elf and an undead high elf. It just survived, sprinting away minus an arm. At this point, a few heroes from the main group had noticed, and Rehgar, backed up by Chromie, lunged for the body from record distance, dropping a totem from Elsewhere to slow it for just long enough that his wife could lock it into a temporal loop. That was it for the body. It panicked and ran even faster, as all the available heroes readied some manner of painful spell to throw into the vortex. After the three seconds were up, Li-ming, Falstad, Nova and Valla unleashed enough abilities into the vortex that the figure was smashed to pieces. At this point, the vortexes closed, but the golden fighters were still an issue. Uther smashed one in the face with his Warhammer, keeping it back from the vulnerable, but took a severe blow in retaliation. Johanna was stubbornly defending against three at once, while the rest of the team struggled to kill them. But eventually, the golden foes went down. It was then, that a very big problem became clear.

Jaina was still on the floor in pain. Lunara was still nursing a gash on her arm. Ever since the diamond body had gone down, healing had been reduced severely.

* * *

"Now, onto their plans, and what you can do next…" continued the Gravekeeper. "The Raven Lord has conspired with Nightshade and Neithis to destroy you. Those three trust you the least, for various reasons. As such, it would not be wise to accept any kind of aid from them, there is a huge chance of betrayal. They have most likely obtained a method to permanently destroy you already, since the only way you can reach here is by falling from sky temple without Ka's protection. And you would only have been fighting without that there if he went through with actually attacking you."

Kharazim interjected. "We have not yet fought forces that are obviously those of the Raven Lord. We have however, fought against invaders in many realms, including his, that had no clear point of origin. They were very likely summoned."

"Could you describe them to me…? No, let me guess. They were bodies that climbed out of strange vortexes, weren't they?"

"You are correct."

The Grave keeper grimaced. "Then we're in a lot more trouble than I realised. The Raven Lord has successfully petitioned the controlling force of the nexus for aid. Those are forces that are conjured by the core of this place. We must move quickly. They will never cease to attack you, no matter where you hide. I will help your group from here onwards. It's only fair to back up my declarations of trust with actions, after all. Now let's go immediately, I have no wish to trouble my subjects with an unexpected invasion." He held his crumpled hat forwards. "Everyone, grab my hat. I'm using my emergency exit. Charles, keep the place in order until I find a way to get back in."

As they all placed a hand on the rim of the decrepit headwear, there was a 'crunch' sound, and they were in a place most of them remembered- The introduction corridor, devoid of enemies and allies alike. It was the same corridor most heroes were guided down by Uther on their first trip through the nexus, before going to a mock battle.

The Grave keeper replaced his hat upon his head. "Right, now that we're here, I'm going to yank all the other heroes out of their current dimension. I can do it, as long as they don't resist…"

* * *

The main group of Heroes had assembled in front of Neithis. As one of the less injured, Tyrande stepped forwards, and offered the ring to the body. The corpse moved an open palm forwards, and Neithis' voice echoed around the chamber. "Well done, heroes. My heirloom is returned. Before I send you onwards, I have a single question… It is correct that your healing abilities have been blocked, as I am told?

Jaina coughed "Yes, they stopped working just as the diamond-" She did not get further with the sentence, because there was a surge of spiders from the dark areas of the chamber. Thousands of spiders of every shape and size. They all moved aggressively, as Neithis laughed in hissing tones.

Her corpse retracted into the ceiling, as she shouted "Farewell!" The heroes were surrounded on all sides, by very obviously poisonous spiders that moved aggressively. Realising this was a betrayal very quickly, they began to attempt to destroy the spiders before they could get close, but it was a futile effort. Even as powerful area spells like flamestrike and Twilight dream were used, more spiders surged to fill the gaps in the tide. Even the Zerg, masters of such strategy themselves and unafraid of the arachnids, were struggling to destroy them quickly. Eventually, Diablo used lightning breath out of anger. However, he didn't aim it for the swarm. He torched the ceiling's mass of cobwebs, which caught the flames without delay, rapidly burning. Neithis' laughter morphed to screams, and the fire spread. Suddenly, the screams stopped, and the spiders on the floor disintegrated without warning. The ceiling was still alight, and now burned ever hotter, until from one of the further corners, a burning mass of something dropped down. The group's thoughts were unanimously turned to 'Let's get out of here'. Neithis screamed "YOU WILL NOT LEEEAVE" And then they disappeared.

The main group found themselves in another world, one that was all too familiar to them. It was an expansive set of docks, overlooking a picturesque blue ocean. All around, many merchants, 'mercenaries' and pirates milled around, holding a market of some kind. A sea-bleached yet proud flag billowed from the huge ship in the largest port of the bay, its normal skull pattern adorned with real bone. It was Blackheart's Bay.

* * *

The Grave keeper exhaled in frustration, and turned to the rest of his group. "I wasn't quite fast enough. Neithis was able to divert my spell. They've been sent to a different realm. But I did save them from a rather unfortunate end." He walked up to the portal. "Now, let's see which realms they could've gone to…" He held his hands over the circle. "There…There are new realms here!? You, Vikings. I require knowledge of these places!"

The Vikings came to his side "That is the land of eternal conflicts, ruled over by the archangel Llarian and Demon lord Beleth. It was drawn in just a bit after you left" said Eric. The Gravekeeper nodded.

"This one is called Warhead junction. You can find quite a lot of bombs there, and a robot controls it. I think it's been a bit roughed up, though." Commented Baelog.

"And this one is a Braxis Holdout. It's a pretty small place that's new, hmhm! Somebody smart called Doctor Cook leads it, and it was brought in very recently!" Olaf sung. The Gravekeeper's eyes widened.

"You mean that there's a new realm with a lord added recently?! Heroes, we must go there now to secure an alliance. The others are more than capable of handling themselves, I'm sure you know. Next stop, Braxis Holdout!" The portal flared, whisking the small team across dimensions.

 **Author's note: Updates may be slowed for a few weeks. I'll try and get another chapter out before the end of the month, though.**

 **SkullyPirate: Thanks! I Personally prefer Braxis, for the sole reason that the objective's push starts at midlane each time,so I can do something about it. Not too fond of needing AoE so much though. Sorry if your favourite map didn't get too much of a role, but the Gravekeeper will be around for a while if that's any compensation.**

 **Lucario: It was indeed a reference to the lost Vikings trailer, nice catch. Brightwing can't teleport to the other group, and I have a good justification as to why: She has to have some idea of where someone is to warp to them (Isolation proves this, you can't warp to what you can't see), and wouldn't be able to sense someone in a different dimension.**

 **Tinh: I thought it was appropriate, since he's an ancient god of the sun, which sets and rises each day. Fire and rebirth are often linked too. That's not the weirdest crush I've ever seen, but I've never known someone drop a crush by accidentally associating them with Mr. Sandman.**


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8 Multipathed

The small group materialised in a futuristic control room, with a pair of steel doors at each side. A quick look around from Auriel showed her some offline computers, some pipes linked to a variety of machines, and a couple of swivel chairs. Oddly, there was no indication that there had ever been someone in the room, the computer desk was perfectly clear, the metal floor was clean, and the chairs looked freshly assembled. The Grave keeper stepped out from the group, and turned to face them.

"All right, I think I got a little overexcited there, but this is critical. We must secure the alliance of this new lord, especially if he's from a neutral party, unlike the angel and demon I met shortly before getting sealed. Heroes, we don't have the numbers to split up, but we'll have to sweep this place. Unfortunately I don't think it's a native universe to any of us…"

There was a clunking sound of a generator coming online. An intercom buzzed, before projecting Dr. Cook's voice into the room "Hello, I, ah, wasn't expecting visitors! I can hear what you're saying, and I'll gladly join you if you give me a hand! Come to the cafeteria, and be ready to fight multiple things along the way. I'm holed up inside." The intercom clicked.

Kharazim talked to the ceiling "Wait, where is this 'cafeteria'? We are unfamiliar with your home's layout."

The intercom crackled again "Oh, ah, y-yes, of course. I'll activate blue lights over the doors you need to go through." The door on the left illuminated.

Greymane stepped forward, weapons readied. "Team, let's go. No defences will last forever."

* * *

In another realm, the main forces were discovering the extent of their problems. Xul had determined that at some point in the Tomb of the Spider Queen, they had been cursed with magic of similar function to that of his own most powerful curse- anti healing. Nobody was sure exactly how much it reduced incoming healing by, but it was estimated at 90%. They all agreed that fighting would be a bad idea until the affliction wore off. Of course, the forces of the nexus had no plans for that.

They travelled through the market, some of them buying a few useful items from vendors, Tracer finding a regen globe in a bottle, Tychus a custom-made jar of gunpowder, magic and some other chemicals that was a single-use grenade. Li Li bought a few exotic herbs that increased magical power briefly. They made their way to the harbour, where a very familiar skeletal pirate was waiting for them.

Blackheart called out, waving his gun in the air "Ahoy there! What brings you to my bay, otherworlders!"

The heroes were a little cautious after Neithis' betrayal, but most of them had known Blackheart long enough to know that he was at least trustworthy if you had a lot of money. Muradin went over to talk with him, grabbing a bottle of something alcoholic from a nearby stall and tossing them some gold. "Hey there, Blackheart! Haven't seen you in a while. Listen, are you having any trouble from some weird people invading, 'cause we've been chasing them around a bit." He pulled the top out of the bottle, and offered it to Blackheart. Blackheart couldn't drink in the traditional sense, but he was still somehow capable of getting drunk. Nobody was sure how.

Blackheart took a swig of the drink, which went right through him and into the sea below the docks. "Aye, how'd ya know? These strange bodies made of seaweed and junk keep attackin me ship. They might be after me, but I wouldn't know, they're wimps in combat and I take the fight to them, Hehah!" He waved his cutlass at the ocean, trying to demonstrate the point. "Still, I wouldn't say no if you can kill them for good! Blasted things can't seem to take a hint and stay dead."

Chen walked over "We'll take care of your problem, but we'll need something in return."

"Aye, what?" Blackheart sung, draining the bottle and tossing it to the side.

"Our group requires passage to another realm after we're done here. Will you take us after we're done?" Chen caught the bottle, and refilled it from his keg, offering it back to the master pirate.

Blackheart considered it for a moment. "For a couple of extra doubloons. I'm not-" He hiccupped, somehow. "-going to another world for free, of course. How about… A hundred thousand gold? Ya got that much? I hope so, cause you're going nowhere without it."

As much as that would be to a single hero, between them it was affordable. "I accept your terms." Said Chen, calmly.

* * *

The small group rushed through the facility. Greymane had disposed of a few minor Zerg, and a few more tried to flank from behind only to be destroyed by Thrall. It didn't take too long for them to reach the canteen, which was currently under siege. The steel doors were barricaded from the other side, and the small glass windows were long gone. There were dozens of black scorch marks around the door, and denting on the walls. A fair amount of the purple matter that the Zerg were composed of was splatted over the area, some fresh, some congealed. A voice called from inside the canteen. "H-hello! It's you out there, I can see you! Listen, there are two powerful creations headed this way, and they're after blood. I'm counting on you to destroy them. You might have an easier time facing them on the viewpoint, it's just to your left." There was a hole in the wall, leading to an expansive area that was probably used as both a lunch area and a viewing deck prior to the station getting overrun.

The Gravekeeper crossed his arms. "Are you the leader of this… place?" He called. He then turned and whispered to Gul'dan. "If he's a realm lord, the Nexus will have amplified his power. But he may not know it yet. I'm counting on you to bring him to our side, you're the best talker. We'll need every ally, or at least as few enemies as possible to stand a chance later.

Cook called back "I-I suppose I am. I'm the only person with the door codes still alive. There are a few marines in another area of the facility, but they were here to guard me and my colleagues. They, um, didn't do such a great job. The Zerg are getting closer, you'd best get ready."

They opted to face them in the wide-open area, for freedom of movement. They began to get into position, but were cut short by a sudden crashing sound as the opposite wall was torn away from the facility. A pair of ultralisk-class Zerg charged into the area, bearing the signature mechanical enhancements of Doctor Cook. They barrelled straight towards the party, barely even slowed by tearing down a titanium wall. What did slow them was Auriel's first strike, which impacted its target directly in the head, halting it abruptly. The Gravekeeper stopped the other with his own magic, a wave of sharpened bones that grew from the floor, angled to punish moving into them. The ultralisk was unable to stop sufficiently quickly, and shredded its front against the bones before halting. The defenders had no intention of messing around. The Vikings bombarded the closer one with the power of their longboat, while Thrall used lightning to keep it off-balance. The Doomhammer was much smaller than its foe, but was enchanted with enough might to easily overpower an already off-balance target. One strike to break off a metal tusk, another to knock the head to one side, and with a mighty shout, Thrall brought the hammer down hard enough to actually decapitate the target. It was exceptionally messy, but undeniably effective.

The second one was being kept at bay by Kharazim's agility and Auriel's healing. Kharazim wasn't a master of damage, but the mantra of Transcendence was enough to keep him at full health. Gul'dan was wholeheartedly trying to erase it with his fel magic, and doing a pretty good job. Waves of flame washed over the target, all while its ample durability was preyed upon by drain life. Eventually, Gul'dan was bored of his simple rotation, and used Horrify to drive it into the Gravekeeper's bone spikes. Its end was swift.

The group walked back to the canteen, and found that it was open. They entered, and found Cook was sitting at a table with a tablet computer and a mug of coffee. The room was filled with hundreds of parts that had apparently been salvaged from around the room, some disgusting-looking tinned food and a few makeshift weapons. Dr. Cook sat up "Ah, you're back! Nicely done, heroes. I knew the wall wouldn't stop those things, so I unlocked the doors anyway. Would you like anything to drink? I have Coffee, or… water… I think that's all. Anyway, thanks for saving me. I'm not really a fighter."

Gul'dan stepped forwards "We have come to rescue you, and also to ask a few questions. Nothing personal, of course. Nonetheless… While here, have you encountered any strange beings of humanoid shape and size, but unusual construction?"

Dr Cook closed a program on his tablet and looked up. "Yes. It was just a few hours before you came here, actually. They were made of Cy- ah, Zerg matter. Thankfully they were destroyed by my Rail rocket, because they were much more dangerous than the normal Zerg. They were actually able to try and unlock my doors."

Gul'dan frowned "It seems you're at risk from these forces as well." He pretended to consider something for a moment. "I believe you should travel with us, for your own safety. They are wretched beings, and they will chase you until their source is destroyed. But there is much strength in numbers. Will you join us?"

"Gladly. But how are we going to leave this station? Do you know of a way out? There are no ships left in the docks." Dr. Cook said.

The Gravekeeper sat down opposite Cook. "I can help you there. You're the master of this place now, correct?"

"C-correct.."

"Right. Close your eyes, relax, and clear your mind."

"O-okay, but how will this help…?" Cook put his hands in his lap, closed his eyes and exhaled.

"Now, there's something you couldn't clear. One tiny, nagging feeling so unusual that you just have to acknowledge it, now that you know it's there"

Cook frowned, but didn't speak.

"Focus on it. Bring it to the front of your mind"

The air developed a slight electric charge.

"And now, open your eyes."

Cook's eyes, when opened, were electric blue. There was a spark of something in them. "What was that? It was completely inexplicable…"

"That is now your power, as a lord. You will learn how to use it in a variety of ways in the coming days, but for now, take us to another realm. It should be quite intuitive"

"Of course, but… Let me get my weapons. I think they may come in useful." He picked up a very large kitchen knife, strapped to a battery of some kind, and a huge metal tube that suspiciously resembled a rocket laucher, but had about a dozen steel poles inside it.

"Alright" He said "For Science!" and the group disappeared.

* * *

The main group were waiting for evening at the docks. Unlike the previous realms, Blackheart had actually been helpful in preparation for repelling the invaders, and provided a map marked with the locations of the four rifts. Apparently, they were quite obvious, but cannonballs were not effective against them. Jaina volunteered to go around freezing them from the deck of Blackheart's ship, and then trying the cannons again. Falstad, Li-ming, Illidan, Valla and Tyreal chose to act as a vanguard for the ship, in case it was attacked more severely. The rest of the heroes lined the docks, prepared to defend them for the duration of the night. A couple of intrepid townspeople, and a few skeletons had turned up to watch the fighting.

The sun touched the ocean, and there was a whooshing sound as the rifts churned to life. Jaina had asked Blackheart to set up his ship next to where the outmost rift would appear, and was able to freeze and shatter it before anything could come out. The other three rapidly spat out some bodies of ocean debris, possibly more than normal since the heroes were present. The bodies glided through the water with great speed, coming to the docks and brandishing weapons of corroded steel. The first wave was easy to deal with, greatly spread out so that each hero could fight them two on one. They were somewhat tricky foes, parrying where possible and moving quickly. The second, much larger wave gave the melee fighters some trouble, but ranged attackers like Hammer were more than able to make up for this.

Jaina reached and shattered another rift. The entire north side of the docks was now safe, however the south came under increased pressure, as the fighters seemed to have simply rerouted themselves through the surviving rifts. Kael'thas and Sylvanas were commanding the defences, and having another of the competitions that they'd come to enjoy. It was a simple challenge of who could keep the enemies furthest away from the town. Sylvanas' side was focusing on trickery and clever use of obstacles to stop incoming attackers. Some old netting over by key access points to turn them into deadly choke points, the odd fortification made of barrels and rope to give her ranged attackers a vantage point, and constant updates on the position of enemies from Brightwing's aerial view. Kael'thas' tactics were a little simpler; just mount up, run around, and blow up anything that's not an ally. He was assisted by Tracer and Tassadar, who were respectively responsible for covering the areas he was furthest away from, and making sure that he was aware of anything that was coming. The plan wasn't really working, and many of them were slipping through, but Artanis, Rehgar and Chromie were dealing with anything that was missed.

The third rift went down. The last rift churned into overdrive, producing a constant stream of enemies that were fortunately headed towards Sylvanas' superior defences. Sylvanas had been especially careful to station her available allies near their significant others, for the natural benefits of increased communication and inspiration. Sonya, Chen and Muradin were bearing the brunt of the attack, while Tyrande, Malfurion and Morales backed them up. After confirming that the enemies were not coming in from any other directions anymore, Sylvanas moved Dehaka, Brightwing, Uther and Johanna to the point of invasion, before sprinting there herself. Much to her relief, the lines were holding, and Sonya was basically enjoying herself, as Uther protected her with both Divine shield and the old 'protective shield' spell that he somehow always seemed to have on hand. Dehaka was the main tank for soaking up the damage of the sea bodies, his natural regeneration keeping him standing against the attacks. He was mainly able to do this thanks to the sheer number of them that Sonya was all but smashing into steam with her rage. He would have been in quite a lot more trouble if they didn't drop essence.

Jaina reached the fourth rift, and realised there was a small problem- she was out of mana. Absolutely dry. She called to Blackheart, who in turn shouted orders to the crew. The wind stopped, and the ship stilled. The figures took this as an opportunity to jump out of the water and onto the decks, where they were set upon by not only the defenders of the ship, but Blackheart himself, who charged in waving his armaments as a skeleton pirate took the ship's wheel. Despite lacking some relatively important fighting tools such as armour, discipline, a leg, and living muscle, he was a huge threat on the field. He swung down on a rope that was installed for the exact purpose of him entering a fight, kicking one invader in the head with his sharpened peg-leg. He stabbed another one through the chest, and sniped another that was approaching Jaina from behind with his flintlock. While the other defenders were simply holding the foes back, Blackheart was an unstoppable destruction master. He barely even paid attention to where the enemies were, and outplayed their swordwork so decisively that Jaina was tempted to call the fight unfair. A particularly powerful-looking opponent boarded the ship, and Blackheart laughed drunkenly.

"Ish time for me speshial weapohn!" He shouted incoherently. He pulled out a gun that was hidden inside his ribcage. "Say 'ello to thar TRIPLE THREAT, HA!" It was a flintlock pistol of ingenious and slightly extravagant design. Instead of one barrel, it had three, and only one trigger. It was beautifully inlaid with silver and topaz, and the ends of all three barrels were blackened and chipped. Blackheart aimed at the offending warrior, and pulled the trigger. It was the loudest gun that anyone had ever heard. Jaina was nearly deafened, and she was nearly ten metres away. Three bullets of varying qualities were blasted into the target. One was regular steel, another was some specially packed explosives, and the last was pure shrapnel. The invader was obliterated by the impacts, and Blackheart's arm was cleanly removed from his body, the red-hot gun skittering across the deck. Jaina, having recovered enough mana to cast her blizzard, ran to the side of the ship, froze the rift solid, and gave the order to a pirate cannoneer to fire, destroying the last source of enemies.

The ship docked at the southern end of the port, Blackheart having reattatched his arm. The heroes were waiting for him. He threw out a large plank for them to board, and gestured for them to come aboard. As they boarded, a skeleton wearing a bandanna ran up to Blackheart. "Capn. We are ready to set sail, where are you going to take them?"

"Well, I think they said some –hic- thing about the Battlefield of Eternity, so that's where we're going." He turned his attention to the heroes. "Y'all aboard? Next stop, the Battlefield, of Eternity!" The ship moved out with alarming acceleration.

Later, as they cruised through the water, Leoric approached Blackheart, minus his mace. "You know, it's not very often that I find another dead king. Even if you're a self-proclaimed king of the sea. I believe we ought to share our knowledge on some of our issues."

Blackheart grinned, or at least appeared to. "Aye, not a bad plan. How do you keep your arms on, after swinging that great big stick around all day. Ya bones can't be that strong?"

Leoric stood, viewing the endless ocean. "It's all about how you treat them. Do not neglect what's left of your body. I regularly strengthen mine with magic, it's a simple incantation that takes only a minute to perform. Now, I have a question for you, in turn. How do you command such loyalty from your crew?"

Blackheart responded "Funny enough, that's all about how you treat them. I know most of mine personally; I know they can be trusted. See that one, there?" He pointed to a skeleton in a faded shirt. "Fought in something he calls 'the skeleton war'. He won't talk much about it, but apparently he lost a lot in it. He only feels happy in battle now." He pointed to another. "And that one, there. That's not his arm, it's his son's. He lost both their lives at the hands of corrupt officials, but only he came back. I know everything about my crew's past, and I do my best to give them some kind of pirate justice. They like me for it, and that's where loyalty comes from. They gotta be able to trust you in a professional way."

"Interesting" Said Leoric, as they sailed into a different realm.

* * *

The smaller group appeared in another derelict facility. Unlike the previous one, this was apparently devoid of Zerg. Dr Cook looked around "Was I successful?"

An adjutant replied "Success statuses: Checking…" Everyone looked at the speakers it's voice was coming from. "Transportation: Successful. Group preservation: successful. Remote system repairs: Failed. Nuclear weapons creation: In progress. Welcome to Warhead junction administrative facilities. Enjoy a complimentary nice hot cup of coffee." A paper cup filled with something was dispensed from an alcove in the wall. Dr Cook sipped it.

"It's stone cold…" he said, recoiling from the drink.

"Correction: Nice cup of coffee"

"It tastes horrendous" He spat out the liquid.

"Correction: cup of coffee"

"I'm not even sure it's coffee" He eyed the remaining drink the way one might look at a severe bill.

"Correction: cup. Facility fully activated. Please stand by for your imminent attack by unknown forces. Thank you." Dr Cook paled at the adjutant's words.

 **SkullyPirate: Reappear in another chapter? Like, say, this one? I think I have to agree with your point about beacon control outside of HL. It's almost painful to watch someone go and do a mercenary camp when all five members of the enemy team are accounted for and nowhere near their beacon.**

 **Tinh: They would be in some pretty serious trouble if that happened. I personally miss doing the thing on haunted mines where you juked people with the mineshafts, but I don't miss dealing with a Grave golem that respawns on the core, or people that fight over the central mercenaries. The map could use just a few fixes, IMO.**

 **Hawki: Hello, nice to have another commenter, especially one so experienced! I'll try to improve based on your feedback, but I haven't written anything in almost two years, and I was never hugely skilled, so there will be mistakes aplenty. Still, your comment is super helpful. I actually thought you were supposed to capitalise names like 'Ring of frost' with only a capital at the front. I'll update that shortly.**


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9 At the end of the worlds

Blackheart's ship glided over the ocean. Kerrigan and Zeratul watched the horizon from the front of the ship, and were the first to see the world make subtle but undeniable changes. The water became just a little bit clearer, and the dawn sky just a little more celestial. The air changed from salt and wind, to a warm breeze. Blackheart yelled from the wheel at the opposite end "Alright, we are now in the realm of Eternal Conflict! Prepare for landing, and get yourselves on deck in ten minutes if you want to get off!"

"Wait, now? There's no land in sight." Said Kerrigan. She checked the horizon, confirming it.

"I think we both know better than to expect the realm is somewhere obvious. I'll go and get everyone out of the infirmary." Said Zeratul, leaving Kerrigan alone.

There was a knock on the door of the infirmary, followed by Zeratul coming in. Jaina had been receiving almost non-stop care from Raynor, and sat up in a makeshift bed with a smile and some messy hair as Raynor walked in, carrying some bacon sandwiches. Likewise, Brightwing had been inseparable from Dehaka, and the two were sleeping in a pile of nets. Kael'thas sat on a bench, changing a bandage on the back of his hand.

"Ah, greetings. Are we approaching our destination?" Said Kael'thas.

"Yes, we've been told to gather on deck, or risk failing to leave the ship. We've got five minutes to arrival, so don't stop to fix any flaws in your appearance." Replied Zeratul. He then left the room, to tell the rest of the heroes. Raynor helped Jaina to her feet, and passed her a hairbrush as they left the room, chatting amongst themselves.

"Oh, yes, leave me with the task of waking up the beasts. It's not like they're likely to… hmph, I suppose I must." Kael'thas grumbled to himself. He walked over to the pile of nets, and gently poked Dehaka in the back.

"Yes?" came the reply. "Have we reached the next hunting area?"

"We're going to be there shortly. Everyone needs to come to the decks, so rouse your wife, ah, mate I suppose, and make haste." Kael'thas said, before turning and leaving.

* * *

In Warhead junction, Cook was simultaneously panicking and being productive. The group were fortifying the reception area and the two adjacent rooms, a meeting room and a break room against the inevitable attack, as Cook explained about the facility, and tried to bring its automated defences online.

"R-right. This facility is Warhead junction, a testing ground for nuclear weaponry, and minor waypoint to us Terrans prior to it, you know, getting taken out of reality. Adjutant, run backup power protocol three. Authorisation: Cook." The doctor called from the coffee machine that had now been taken apart and used to connect to the adjutant.

The lights brightened from the depressing glow of emergency power.

Arthas was busy freezing all the doors leading to the break room shut, and then drawing simple runic seals on them. "Doctor. Do you know anything about the nature of the foes that we will face during this assault?"

"Unfortunately not, but with a bit of deduction…" He paused for a moment "They must be radioactive material, metal, cloth, or dirt. Cloth and dirt seem like poor choices, so expect metallic foes because I designed this facility to make sure radioactive materials were only available to the systems controlled by the adjutant… oh dear, the adjutant. Prepare for potentially radioactive foes. They are likely to make your thoughts fuzzy while nearby, so aim to destroy them in one hit. I have a cure kit to make sure you don't die from most kinds of affliction, so I suppose that I'll be assisting the medics."

The Gravekeeper returned from the meeting room "Don't be overly worried. I notice you only have two items you've linked your new power to. If you use that cure kit, and concentrate on it, you can gain unlimited use of it as long as you have mana, just as your launcher is now going to self-reload. Now, myself and Anub'arak have completed fortifying the meeting room. Whatever you do, do not cross the line of bones."

A siren sounded, and the adjutant's distorted voice played "Caution. Facility breach at testing area. Evacuation advised."

* * *

The main group were all on deck in time, shaking off sleepiness relatively quickly. They looked at the horizon expectantly, finding nothing.

"Well, where is it- OH WOW" said Li Li. The battlefield of eternity had literally just appeared out of thin air, all around them. On one side, the gold and white fortifications of heaven, and the other, the vast expanse of hell.

"Thank you, for using Blackheart's boats, this be your stop, so off ye get!" Blackheart docked in a lake In between the two sides, and lowered the plank. The heroes got off quickly, not wanting to risk making an accidental return journey. No sooner than the last hero, Murky, had stepped onto the land, did the ship set sail, becoming ethereal and fading away.

Two booming voices rang out with "WELCOME" and then the two waiting immortals began arguing with each other.

"Beleth, you're far too loud"

"Oh, shut it Llarian they can take it."

Diablo roared for attention, silencing Beleth, and causing Llarian to stop. "If you're quite done making a fool of hell, I have some orders for you!" He snarled to his subject.

Tyreal approached Llarian. "Greetings once more, lieutenant. I hope you have settled well into your newfound power?"

Llarian was the first to reply "I have begun to grasp the extent of these new blessings. Unfortunately I cannot seem to understand them faster or slower than my foe. It has been quite the stalemate."

"We've been travelling the realms, defending them. Tell me, have you been attacked by otherworldly forces?" Said Tyreal.

"No. But we have both observed your adventure from afar. Thanks to your friends who were isolated from you, this is the last realm you will need to visit, if your allies prevail."

Diablo walked up to Beleth. "Now, I need you to construct a mass teleportation rune. Empowering it ought to be simple, for a change."

"And why should I still take orders from you?" Snorted Beleth.

"Because you can't kill me, you certainly can't kill my allies, and the longer we sit around your dimension the more likely you're going to get invaded. And helping you repel the invasion is exactly as optional as you deciding to DO YOUR JOB." Diablo shouted.

Raynor raised a hand "Hey, what's a teleportation rune going to do for us, exactly?"

* * *

The bodies swarmed against the fortified area of the facility. Arthas was masterfully cutting down foe after foe with clinical precision. Even if they had no souls to steal, Frostmourne was as sharp as a needle. Greymane was throwing cocktails from behind, never missing his target. And whenever Arthas began to tire, Auriel blessed him with another round of strength. Occasionally, Cook dashed in and sprayed them with a bottle from the cure kit, before running back to the other room. Unfortunately, the bodies had intention of being bottlenecked forever, and promptly broke a hole in the opposite wall, attempting to rush Auriel. Gul'dan intercepted, blasting them with his full combination of attacks at medium range, albeit at the expense of some life.  
"Fall back, we're too exposed here. Hold them at the foyer." Called Auriel. The group wasted no time in absconding.

The lords were holding a naturally more difficult area to fortify, due to its multitude of doors. The Gravekeeper had turned this to his group's advantage with his most powerful ability: Graveyard. The floor was replaced by soft soil, impossible to properly stand on, and whenever the enemies came too far, sharp bones came from the floor to stab at the invaders. The Vikings were meticulously coordinated, each focusing different targets to ensure the invaders didn't get through the defensive lines. Kharazim and Anub'arak used their natural mobility to leap into the backlines of the enemy and weaken particularly nasty-looking targets so that the Graveyard could finish them off. Cook was focusing on keeping everyone cured, seemingly forgetting the pair of weapons he'd brought with him. But then, he ran to the other small group to check on them, and was surprised to find that they'd been pushed back to the lobby. He steeled his nerves, and got closer.

"Everyone, I… I can fight too. Don't die on me, o-okay?" He equipped his funny-looking launcher, which had been held on his back with a strap. He held it over his shoulder, levelled it at the chests of the numerous invaders, and pulled the trigger. A steel bar was shot from the tube with terrifying speed, impaling the foes like an oversized shish-kebab. Four of them fell over together, pinned to each other by the pole. Cook cranked a lever, waited for about two seconds for a green LED to come on, and fired again, getting the same result. At this point, he holstered the launcher once more, and ran back to the other room with his cure kit.

They fought for what seemed like hours, though it was in fact closer to fifteen minutes. But eventually their foes were nothing more than shattered remains on the floor. Everyone sat down on a decrepit sofa in the lobby, exhausted.

"Well done, everybody." Cook looked at the group.

The Gravekeeper was the next to talk "Now that you've defended here… All of the worlds have been protected. I think you've got enough experience to face the ultimate threat. I've got just a few more things to explain, and then I'll warp you back to your allies. But please, take a minute to recover."

A minute passed.

"Right" The Gravekeeper began "The realm at the end of all realms. To enter it, there is only one requirement. The entering team must have either a hero, or a lord in it. However, its only entry method is by having somebody else send you. How they send you is their choice, but you cannot enter of your own will, only somebody else's. There lies the one summoning your foes. I haven't seen the extent of his power, but it's at least as strong as mine. Now, Cook. We're going to take them all to the main group of heroes, along with ourselves. They'll need our power to send all of them to the last realm."

"O-of course. I'll have to leave the destination planning to you, though. I've not yet seen the other worlds, let alone gone beyond them." Cook stood up, closing his eyes and focusing.

The group disappeared once more.

* * *

The teleportation rune that was being constructed was enormous. The twin lords had opted to build it in the arena they often crossed blades in, and it reached to the edges of all four circles they often stood in. It had taken a bit of persuasion, but materials from both Heaven and Hell were being used in the design, to give it the absolute maximum power possible. Smooth golden yellow stones traced the runes, solid and steadfast, reassuring, while demonic crystals crackled and vibrated in gilded, twisted altars, filling the structure with limitless energy. Tyreal and Diablo kept the two working immortals in order, while Johanna and Azmodan performed unending quality checks on the craftsmanship, making sure each rune was correct to the millimetre. Azmodan took great pleasure in ensuring the demonic altars were sufficiently representative of the deadly sins. The Starcraft characters were running a war meeting of sorts. Abathur professed plan after plan to the heroes, covering every foreseeable outcome and some that weren't. Raynor made sure the plans accommodated all the races, rather than just the Zerg.

The supports were running a med-bay. Even through the curse, together they were able to restore everyone's health. A few of them received some extra mana from Malfurion, if they were running particularly low. Suddenly, about a dozen more heroes materialised out of thin air, all looking around. "Hello again, brother." Called the unmistakable voice of Auriel.

Tyreal spun around "Sister! I was worried that you were lost for the rest of this crisis. I'm truly relieved to see you okay. I see you've brought everyone else back with you too… and some new allies, I see. Would you like to introduce yourselves? Hold on." He floated over to the med aby, and brought over all the other heroes.

Cook stepped forwards first, doing his best to control his nerves, and trying to hold good posture, facial expression, and carefully select his words "D-d-doctor Cook, at your service." Unfortunately, the forced nature of his appearance coupled with the stutter betrayed him. "I-I'm the lord of Braxis Holdout, and I'll be helping you from here on out. We've got a lot of information to give you."

The Gravekeeper was the next one to speak "And you all know me as the Gravekeeper. I will also be helping you get to your final destination. I have quite the tale to tell."

The Gravekeeper spent the next ten minutes explaining the betrayal of some of the other lords, his sealing, and what little he knew of the final threat. Cook stepped in to talk about Braxis, and how he'd come to ally with them.

Everyone was shocked. There were a few gasps when it was confirmed that the other lords had been attempting to kill them out of fear, and more when they learned that the Raven lord had sealed away the Gravekeeper for trying to act sensibly. But they didn't flinch. They hadn't earned the title of heroes by backing down from a battle they could fight and win.

* * *

After another hour, the ring was complete. Among the onlooking heroes, Rehgar noticed Chromie, looking sadly at the rune. He sat down next to her. "What's wrong? Is something on your mind?" He asked.

"Nothing that I can really do much about. It's just a single, unchangeable thing, but I don't like it. If it weren't the only way, I'd… Sorry, I'm sounding all ominous." Chromie laughed gently "I've got no problems facing the hardships in the future if I'm with you. Come on, we're leaving in three minutes!"

They walked into the ring, passing by Tracer and Tassadar. Tracer was talking. "You know, I never imagined when I saw you that we'd become so close. But you've really been good to me, and everyone else. I'm so glad I met you."

"Likewise. It's good to find another person who can open their mind to new ideas, no matter how far-fetched they may seem." Tassadar said, as the pair followed the rest of the heroes to the rune.

Tychus was having a conversation with Hammer. "You know, once this is all over, I think it's about time we went out for an evening. Anywhere in mind, darlin'?"

Hammer smiled "Anywhere sounds just perfect in my mind. Maybe we ought to try someplace new?"

Falstad was tending to his Gryphon, while Li-ming fixed the few stray hairs on her head with a small brush. "You aren't feeling nervous, are you?" Asked Li-ming "I've heard that deep breathing helps."

Falstad smiled "Course not. I live for a good adventure, and so do you. As long as we keep each other safe, then I'm sure we'll be fine."

Raynor was helping Jaina prepare. "I'm sure we can get through this. But… before we go, I think I'd like to take a minute to drop the leader act and just stop being so stressed. It gets old after a while." Said Raynor, quietly.

"Yes, I know how it feels to have so much depend on your decisions. It's so exhausting. I think we have a moment before we go, if you need to sit down and clear your head. I'm there for you." Jaina replied.

Nova and Kharazim were mentally preparing. "I'm glad to see you again. Training dictates that I can't let anything get to me, but I'm glad you're back." Said Nova.

"Of course. I wouldn't leave you to fight alone. I'm glad that you haven't been hurt while I've been away, November."

Dehaka and Brightwing were waiting in the circle. "We've seen so many new worlds, better-than-friend. Which ones did you like?" Said Brightwing, perched on Dehaka's back.

"I do not hold worlds to the same standards as you… But I did think that the Garden of Terror was good. Much to hunt. Many places to hide. And good for you to live in." He rumbled.

Sonya and Chen were ready to go. Sonya looked to Chen and said "We cannot lose this fight. I did not have a place I could truly call home for many years. I will not go back to those times."

Chen nodded "And I have never known such a place, where so many are happy. I would gladly give my life to keep it safe, over and over again."

Rosa and Muradin were performing last checks on their armour. "I'll be watching you back out there. Stay safe for me." She said, equipping her shield.

"And you stay safe too. I'll make sure that you get back safe. By my hammer, I'll keep you safe until the end of time." Muradin strapped on his greaves.

Illidan and Valla were looking at everything with crossed arms. "So… don't die, I guess." Said Illidan.

Valla smirked "Gladly. I don't suppose you'll return the favour?" she teased.

The Gravekeeper called for attention. "Heroes. We are ready to send you to the last area. Gather within the circle." The remaining heroes walked into the runes. "Lords, on the count of three. One…"

The four lords began charging power, one in each circle. Light flowed from Llarian's wings in a smooth cascade, transitioning into raw power that the crystal hungrily devoured. Beleth became shrouded in a red mist, and black lightning leapt from the shroud to his crystal, which drew it in. Cook was holding up a battery, which had a pair of thin wires trailing to his crystal. The crystal shimmered and sparked as both electricity and magic flowed through it, while the wire glowed. The Gravekeeper was simply standing there. Black smoke trailed from his eyes and mouth to the crystal, guided by an invisible wind.

"Two…" The lords amplified their output, and the rune began to glow.

"THREE!" And the heroes were flung to the farthest reaches of the dimensions.

 **Author's notes: It's time. I won't be able to even work on the story next week, so expect chapter 10 in around a week and a half.**

 **Skullypirate: Glad you liked him. He won't be in the final battle, which I've had planned out pretty much since the start, but maybe we'll see him again later.**

 **Lucario: Yep, they were working with traitors for most of the first half of the story. Nice catch on the reference, you seem to be good at that. I did also slightly forget Arthas and Anub. Oops. I'm trying to learn from what Hawki said, so let's hope I can do so.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Unavoidable impossibility

The journey to the end of the dimensions was a little different to a normal trip. The heroes could see brief glimpses of the worlds they passed, and of the base dimension they normally lived in. But after just a few seconds, they arrived.

The final dimension was simple. Dark blue tiles made up the floor, and a triangular pattern was visible in the air. Beyond the pattern, entire galaxies were visible, swirls of yellow against the never ending cosmos. The dimension consisted of only two rooms. The room everyone had arrived in, and another, sealed by a great door made of opaque crystal. Raynor walked up calmly.

"Everyone… You can feel it, can't you? The one summoning all these foes is behind this door. Once he's defeated, we're safe. I'm going to check everyone's ready, and then we'll enter." He said.

As Raynor began running some final checks on his team, Chromie talked to Rehgar briefly. "Look… When we go in there" She whispered "I know what's going to happen. I'd just like to ask… please forgive me for how it turns out."

Rehgar looked at her "Done. I wouldn't hold anything against you."

Raynor had finished his quick check. "Okay, everyone. I'm going to open the door. Let's do this."

And he pulled the door open.

* * *

Inside was much the same, but the walls were now the same tiling as the floor. It was a vast room, easily two hundred metres in length and width. You could have fit anything inside easily. But it was completely empty, save for a single figure, standing in the middle. The heroes ran up to face it, getting a better look. It was standing calmly, made of crackling blue energy, and seemed to be simply a manifestation of power, rather than a true form. Blank, bright white eyes stared out into infinity, as the heart of the nexus spoke.

A perfectly neutral voice was projected. "Greetings. I am…" The voice suddenly became wild, panicked "I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM! And welcome, to… Where… WHERE AM I?" It began to crackle with more and more energy, as some of the heroes stepped back. "WHAT AM I?" It screamed. "WHY AM I?!" The form drew in more energy, glowing golden. "I'VE BEEN WARNED! The raven lord, I remember him! HE WARNED ME! YOU'RE HERE TO KILL ME! I-I WON'T ALLOW IT! I won't… you aren't attacking me… why?" The tones grew perplexed, but the energy didn't dissipate "I'll… I'll do as he asked! I'll stop you from interfering!" The form released its energy.

* * *

In the base dimension, the City of Anchor felt a tremor. The tremor grew stronger, until suddenly, lightning struck, directly into the centre of the city. Cracks spread from the impact with great speed, dividing over and over, forming one giant web of destroyed earth where the city stood. Then, without warning, the land scattered. The people were not killed, but each one was sent to another place in the Nexus. The patches of stable ground were spread few and far between. The city of Anchor was shattered and divided, with no more than two buildings in any one place.

The Black Circle was annihilated. The guard was blasted down by the same bolt of lightning that had struck Anchor, but without any other sentient life, it was thrown forever into the Nexus. Nature's garden's fared no better, and was cleaved in two by the bolt. The temple and forest remained stable, even when separated.

In the small house where Chromie had left her child, the babysitter opened the first folder. Inside was a letter.

'I'm writing this with the knowledge that I fail. We fail. Not only that, but we were always meant to fail, and the only way to keep time moving was for us to do so. I'm never going to get to see Sandy grow up. I'm going to keep everything simple for now: Please, keep her safe.

P.S I've stockpiled some supplies in the basement, they will last at least a few years'

* * *

The form discharged a wave of light. It was unavoidable, no matter your speed, dexterity, or luck. As it touched each being in the room, they froze in time. Raynor was left looking at the figure, Jaina had a sleeve over her eyes, Sonya was caught mid-lunge… The affected went on. There was Tracer, flickering in the stasis, and Tassadar reaching for her, as if to stop her from ever reaching the wave. Dehaka was in front of Brightwing, trying in vain to stop it with everything he had. They too were paused. There was only one exception.

Chromie was still standing, watching as all the heroes were frozen in time. The wave washed over her, and left her unhindered, as a master of time. She looked at the figure. It too was frozen, a victim of its own attack. She looked to the floor, and said quietly "And now, I wait."

* * *

Throughout the Nexus, uncountable numbers of the weaker warrior bodies rose from the ground. Nowhere was truly safe, but ten places were targeted for attack in particular. But at those ten places, their attacks were met with fierce resistance, protecting both willingly and unwittingly, hope.

In the temple at Nature's gardens, the Dryads protected their homes, and unknowingly, a child from two worlds.

In a small cottage, now missing half its garden, Sandy's caretaker put a brick in her handbag and came out fighting.

At the church of medicine, doctors and nurses alike barricaded the doors, and began a stubborn resistance to the siege.

In a large house, the family butler frowned and flipped a panel in the wall to reveal an array of weapons. He met his foes in the lobby, letting nothing past.

At the front of a house with curved golden architecture, a caretaker was fighting with nothing but his fists, yet he fought on nonetheless.

In Hammer's garage, the ex-mechanic of Anchor was operating the house's security, keeping the house as safe as he could.

Near a rugged, rustic home, the babysitter had prized a sword from the wall, and was bravely defending the door.

In a house decorated like a temple, The babysitter hid the child they were entrusted with, and did all they could against the oncoming foes.

At a library-turned-home, the old caretaker read spells from a tome until there was no breath left in his lungs.

And at a small nursery, the staff ushered one recently deposited child to a safe room along with all the regulars, before organising the minders into a guard.

 **Author's Notes: Yes, this was planned from the start. The heroes were always going to severely lose their final battle. Rating may get upped to a T, and some themes may get slightly darker. I'm aware of just how risky a move this is, but I hope you'll stay around for the next arc.**

 **Lucario: Unfortunately, all the luck in the world wouldn't have stopped that attack. And yes, Chromie was foreshadowing something, which you now know.**

 **Tinh: I've given it some thought, but can't quite think of a prefect ship name. The best one I've come up with is 'Space and Time', The protoss were lost in space for quite a while, when they didn't have a home planet, and Tracer spent a long time lost in time.**

 **SkullyPirate: Zeratul will be single for quite a while, given the current circumstances. There won't be any true 'Arena' in this story, but finding and fighting in one of them isn't out of the question.**

 **Hawki: I was actually going for a slightly gamey feel, although I didn't mean to make it overbearing. I mainly used the 'side quest' as a device to introduce the first of the relationships. Thanks for taking the time to pick out the errors, I tried but grammar's always been my weakness. Pre-existing characterisation is basically why I felt able to include so many. I may have gone a little overboard later, but I'm going to try and tone down the number of 'Important characters' a bit for arc 2.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The next generation

Fourteen years had passed since the fall of the heroes. Fourteen years of constant assault, limited supplies, and foster parenting. Joseph 'Joe' Raynor was standing in the garden of his family home, while the family butler, known to Joe as Mr. Rogers, gave him his daily combat training. The butler threw several targets into the air, and Joe successfully attempted to shoot them down.

Joe had inherited most of his mother's looks, with soft blond hair and a smaller face. However, he also seemed to have James' uncanny accuracy with a rifle. Clothing had been in short supply as he grew up, but he'd found a very old admiral's coat while exploring the nexus, and used it as his everyday wear simply for the sheer style it had, along with the beautiful shade of navy it had retained. To be a little more practical, he'd added some protective armour of his own, covering his chest and forearms with some metal that he suspected was steel, even if he couldn't confirm it. He'd also found a high-quality pair of boots, that were currently going through their second year of use. While growing up, Mr. Rogers had taken it upon himself to teach him a full curriculum of the basic sciences, English, maths, marksmanship, and some magic, taken from his mother's stock. Joe had handled this easily, but his knowledge of magic was quite limited, if only due to lack of proper tuition. He shot the last target out of the air, finishing the day's lessons.

Mr. Rogers walked up, brushing a little bit of dust off his shoulder. "Excellent. You've held a perfect record for the last three weeks, Joseph."

"Thank you" Joe said "I've been trying to improve. I remember what you told me, all that time ago. There are more people like me, so I need to be able to find them." He put his rifle over his shoulder, keeping it there with a strap. His rifle had originally been a weapon designed by the raiders to last a very long time without breaking, at the expense of being semi-automatic, and being less effective at damaging. It had since been upgraded painstakingly by Joe to incorporate some magical features, such as self-replenishing ammunition, and his personal favourite achievement, elemental bullets.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I'd say that you're skilled enough that you could realistically fend for yourself out there. Nonetheless, if you wish to begin looking for your peers, whomever they may be, I insist you set out fully rested and supplied. You've got one life, so treat it carefully. Come with me, I'll prepare our dinner"

* * *

Dinner had, for the last three weeks, been pasta-based. Joe and Mr. Rogers had the good fortune to find a grocery store that was ripped out of reality, and had taken as many imperishable goods as they could carry. Pasta had been a staple of their diets, simply because so much of it could be carried at once. This evening, the butler had opted to use one of the last cans of tomatoes, alongside a pinch of herbs to make something resembling spaghetti Bolognese. It was one of the most extravagant meals they'd had all week. It was over this meal that they discussed the prospects of going out to search for other children of heroes. Joe opened the conversation "So earlier, you mentioned that I might be able to survive searching for the others. Are you sure I can do it?"

Mr. Rogers smiled "I would never lie. I think we could survive outside a house for at least three days. And that should be enough time to reach one of the other areas that I suspect has another child of heroes. Do you recall the hospital church which I believe one of the children will live in?"

"Founded by Auriel in the third year of the Nexus. They worshipped healing, and devoted themselves to medical research. They were known for being one of the best examples of magic and science working together" recited Joe.

Mr Rogers smiled with a hint of pride "Correct. I recall hearing that one of the heroes who worked there, the lieutenant Rosa Morales, had recently had a baby. It stands to reason that she would have felt that a very safe place to leave her child for what she thought would be a trip of no more than a week. And the hospital itself was only two houses away from us, prior to the Shattering."

"And I've found from my experiments that we can find buildings that were next to each other after one day of travel. If everything goes right, we can make it to the hospital. I must say, I'm excited at the prospect of meeting somebody else." Joe finished his meal.

The butler packed supplies that evening, so that they could set out at dawn. He was careful to bring a little extra water, and a hammer with nails, something they'd learned could be an invaluable tool to shut a door permanently if no furniture was nearby. He prepared his own weaponry, a standard-issue pistol, and a large kitchen knife. Everything was in order.

The following dawn was mercifully clear. Rain wouldn't persist due to the changing nature of the world, but getting soaked before setting off would slow them down badly. They left after a quick breakfast, locking the doors behind them.

* * *

Travel in the Nexus was a lot more dangerous after the shattering. Almost all the areas encountered by Joe had at least one of the bodies in them, and even though they were not particularly difficult to bring down, having to fight constantly took its toll on the party's stamina. Joe was the far superior fighter of the two, bringing down many of the targets from afar before they were actually a threat. Despite the formal nature of his favourite jacket, he was an excellent sprinter and able to outmanoeuvre many of his enemies. Mr. Rogers could have sworn he felt inspired by the boy, like he could make impossible shots with his gun, or find any weakness in his enemy. As a matter of fact, he really was empowered. Joe had inherited skills from both his parents, after all.

The first day passed easily, with only enemies the two were used to facing. Mostly bodies made of dirt, which were really quite easy to defeat. They rested overnight in the ruins of the house that had once belonged to Joe's neighbours. Said neighbours were nowhere to be found. They both tried not to think about it. The second day was a little more difficult. They actually ran across a stone body, a fairly rare foe overall. Nonetheless, they both had years of experience, and brought it down with minimal trouble. The third day was practically unexplored territory for the two of them. It was difficult to go very far from the house safely, a whole two days without needing to turn back was new for both of them. They found a great deal of bodies made of plants, something they'd only encountered only a few times before. But their only advantage was being slightly more durable than the dirt bodies, which really didn't make much difference.

* * *

It was a little past noon, when they saw it. As they crossed into the next area, there was a large white building with huge double doors, and tattered, worn banners that faintly had golden crosses on them. Joe turned to ask his butler if this was the hospital he'd heard about, but Mr. Rogers nodded before a word left his mouth. As they got closer, they could see the wear of the building. The ground floor windows were boarded shut, and the doors were splintered, held up by something from the inside. The walls had obviously been heavily damaged over the years, and repainted recently, yet there was a message inked onto one of the two banners.

'Welcome. Shout if you want to enter'

Joe took a deep breath "HELLO? Can we come in, please?" he shouted to a window on the second floor, just above the entrance.

There was a faint sound of some people running around inside, before somebody leaned out of the window, then leaned back in. Joe could still hear as they yelled "By the gods! EVERYONE! THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE!" they leaned out again. "Um, yes, hello! Welcome! How can we help?"

Joe took a better look at the person. They had light ginger hair that was messy enough to be noticeable from an entire floor away, and there was apparently some kind of white armour over one of their arms. "We'd like to come in. We're looking for someone descended from the heroes!" he called up.

The figure leaned back in. "Marge, I'm going to let the ladder down! They're here looking for me!" A rope ladder tumbled out of the window, as Joe realised exactly who he'd been talking to.

The two travellers ascended the ladder quickly, one at a time. Mr. Rogers insisted on going first, in case anything went wrong. Joe was in just a moment later, taking a look around the room. It had six beds, and a large cupboard in the corner that probably held medical supplies. The beds all had boxes under them for personal items. There were three other people in the room: A woman in her forties, wearing a white shirt, a man in his late twenties, wearing a long jacket with a green cross stitched onto it, and most interestingly, the person who'd been calling out of the window. He was a skinny boy, with a pale complexion and below average height. It would have been easy to dismiss him as weak, if not for the armour he was wearing.

His torso was guarded by a plate of armour that was obviously custom-made for him, in white and bronze. It was primarily simple metal, crafted well, but it held some kind of power pack on the back. His right arm was covered by more armour of the same style, but part of a device that Mr. Rogers recognised all too well was set into the gauntlet. His left continued the theme, but this time the gauntlet had something different attached that the butler didn't recognise. His legs and feet were also protected, but there was no visible technology there.

Joe stepped forwards, offering a handshake, and the boy looked confused. One of the doctors quickly stepped forwards, accepting the greeting, while Joe frantically tried to think of a good opening to his first conversation with a new person in years. The many phrases Mr. Rogers had taught him were nowhere to be found. "It's good to meet another me" he blurted out, internally panicking.

Mr. Rogers came to the rescue "Why don't you introduce yourself? I'll fill in the doctors as to why we're here."

Joe swallowed his fear "Of course. My name is Joseph Raynor, and I'm the son of Jaina Proudmoore and James Raynor. They were heroes, like your parents. I want to try and find all of us descendants, so that maybe we can find out what happened to our parents. What's your name?"

"I'm Thomas Morales. But, call me Tom. My parents were Muradin and Lt. Morales, but… I don't remember them. I… Guess I don't really have a big goal like you. I'd really like to know my parents personally, but it seems impossible. Do you want somewhere to sit, or… Hey, that's a really cool weapon. Can you show me how it works?" Tom said, looking at the rifle with curiosity etched into his face.

Joe was more than happy to show him the mechanisms of the gun, before asking his own question "What does all that stuff on your armour do? I've never seen anything like it."

Tom practically lit up at the question "Oh, I've always wanted to show all this to someone else! So, this gauntlet has technology from a suit that was apparently the same as my mother's built into it, but I modified it myself so that instead of working as a stream, it does a lot of healing quickly! It actually worked, too!" One of the healing projectors from a medic's suit rose from its place in the right gauntlet. "And on the other one, I have this thing I found that Mrs. Edison told me is called an optic flare. It can generate enough light to blind someone from like six meters away. But you know what my favourite thing is? You see my chestplate?"

Joe looked at it, but couldn't see anything too special besides the generator and upon closer inspection, some kind of large box strapped to Tom's lower back. "Is that a weapon strapped to your, uh, backside?"

Tom laughed a little "Oh, I'll get to that later! I'm talking about the armour itself! Basically, I'm able to create a special field around it that reduces damage I take and converts it into a shockwave. This one time, three of those dummies cornered me, and I blew them all to bits in one hit! It was _great_. Now, what haven't you seen before I get onto my special stuff… Oh yeah, my life drive." He took a breath before continuing his explanation. "Basically, I'm really good at getting back up after getting hurt anyway, but I can actually use an inside version of my healing technology to bounce back even faster. So, about my big stuff…" He took the box off his back. Upon closer inspection, there was a handle on one side, and when Tom pressed a button on the side, the front swung open revealing a very complex looking dish. "I call this the eraser cannon. If I pulled the trigger, it would charge up for a second before blasting pretty much everything unlucky enough to be in my field of vision with some REALLY nasty energy that removes stuff like magic defences. And if I need to help someone else…" He shut the front of his cannon/box and holstered it "I can reroute its power into giving somebody else a magic boost. It uses the anti-field's system to generate a huge, tangible shield around someone. I just call it the Supershield. Unfortunately, the big stuff takes ages to recharge so I've got to be careful with it."

The adults in the room turned to the duo. Mr Rogers addressed his charge "I've arranged for us to stay here overnight. We'll see if you've recovered your strength tomorrow, before we make any plans, but if you're going to ask him to join you, then you should include him in the entire decision making process. I'll be downstairs if you need me, the staff want someone to help them fortify the windows. Oh, and please remember to bring our luggage in. It wouldn't do to lose our best hammer to those blasted things."

"I'll tell him everything." The butler left, and Joe turned back to Tom "I'm going to try and find all of the people like us. I've worked out how many days of travelling it is from here to the next place we might find one, and since we're looking for them, that increases our chance of finding them. I've got it all planned out some paper in my bag, let me just go and get it" He climbed out of the window, grabbed the rucksack he'd been using, and scrambled back up the ladder.

He spread out a weathered sheet of A3 paper, which had a carefully drawn map of Anchor, before the shattering. There were nine X's on the map, and a trail was drawn and measured between each of them. Every section of the trail was measured not in inches or centimetres, but in days. Joe pointed to the X one trip away from the start of the line. "We're here. And these other seven marks represent where we think the other people with our kind of skills are. It makes sense that they'll still be there rather than somewhere else, since it's difficult to find somewhere else that's got as many luxuries as a home." He said.

Tom looked over the map "So… the next heroic teenager is about… five days away? That's not so bad. But how are we going to carry enough water? Unless…" He looked inside the rucksack. It was entirely filled with water containers, some full, some empty, some average plastic bottles, and some expensive hiking gear. "Wow, not bad. That's almost as many water bottles as we've got in the entire church. Anyway, since you can stay the night, a bit of rest might make all the difference. Mind helping out with the defences at six?"

"Sure, it'd be a good chance to see what we can do!" Said Joe.

 **Author's notes: It's good to be back. Access to computers has been limited, but I can get back to working on this story now. Also, all the children will have movesets designed as if they were going to be added to the game.**

 **Tinhline: Aww, thanks! And yes, Chromie's child was fathered by Rehgar.**

 **Lucario: Loved that reaction. And you did guess correctly, you really care about her a lot I suppose. Those other two were certainly in jeopardy, but I'll leave it at this: They will meet Joe.**

 **SkullyPirate: All the heroes except Chromie have been frozen in time, along with the heart of the Nexus. Not technically dead, but utterly unable to do anything. This story will follow the children from here onwards, and I plan to make them learn and develop to the best of my ability.**

Joseph's Moveset (Assassin)

Similar HP to Raynor

Q: Magic shot, fire a bullet dealing moderate damage to the first target hit, short cooldown.

W: Rally, increase the basic attack damage and speed of all nearby allies (Not Joseph himself) by X% for X seconds. Long cooldown.

E: Sprint, gain 30% movespeed for X seconds. Attacking cancels this. Medium cooldown.

R1: Order Command, Reduce all of an ally's cooldowns by a large amount, and restore 20% of their mana. Medium ult cooldown

R2: Frost Nova, after 0.5 seconds, root and damage all enemies within a small radius. Medium ult cooldown

Trait: Charisma, all nearby allies gain 5% ability power.

Important talents: At 1, he can choose between Arcane, Fire or Frost bullets for his Q. Arcane reduces cooldown on a hit, Fire splashes, and Frost slows.

Playstyle: A flexible assassin that can build to suit any team. Most effective in large fights where lots of allies can receive buffs from his trait and W. Not very good at going solo.

Thomas's Moveset (Support)

Slightly less HP than Muradin

Q: Intensive repair, after a short delay, heal an adjacent ally for a large amount. (Slightly more than an Uther Q) Medium cooldown. Allies leaving the range of the heal will cancel its channelling.

W: Anti field, Activate to reduce incoming damage by a large percentage. After X seconds, generate a short-range shockwave dealing damage equal to the damage negated. Long cooldown.

E: Optic Flare, Blind a target for X seconds. Medium cooldown

R1: Removal Cannon, Channel for 2 seconds before releasing a damaging ray over an area that deals light damage, removes all active buffs (Spellshield, ability power, attack speed, etc) and prevents application of buffs for a short time. Huge cooldown even for an ult. Think a support's version of hinterland blast.

R2: Supershield, Instantly Shield an ally for X points. X is equal to a lot here. Shield persists for around 20 seconds. Long ult cooldown.

Trait (active): Life drive, passively heal for 1% of your max health per second. Activate to restore X% of max health. Long cooldown.

Important Talents: Range upgrade for Q, Lv 20 Supershield lasting until destroyed.

Playstyle: A support able to punish divers with blinds and the anti-field. Healing is sub-par, due to short range, channel times, and only having it on one ability. Most effective in dual support teams. Horrible against CC heavy teams. A lot of his power is tied to his ultimates.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Engineer

The wave of bodies that assaulted the hospital was larger than Joe had been expecting, but he and Thomas had prepared in advance, along with Mr. Rogers and two Nurses armed with a spear and a sledgehammer. They were primarily made of grasses and armed with scythes, but the two teens weren't deterred. "Come on, let's do this!" Shouted Joe to Tom.

"Right behind you!" Tom blinded the closest one, and punched it in the face with an armoured fist. They couldn't stray too far from the hospital or enemies would start slipping through their defences, but they were easily holding back the assault. Joe was sniping anything that got too close with a frost bullet, aside from cheering Tom on as he treated his foes to the Anti-field. The battle was over almost too soon, as Tom quickly checked over the three guardians before turning to Joe "Oh, that was amazing!" He grinned.

They retreated back inside, in high spirits over the victory. Dinner was rice and water, average for the nexus, although Joe hadn't had rice in several months, and was glad to find it on his plate. At the end of the meal, Mr. Rogers called for attention. "Joe, Tom. Can you stay for a minute, we need to discuss something."

"What is it?" asked Joe.

"It's about the hospital's safety. Tom is a key part of their defences, and although there's no lack of healers present, very few of them are able to take an injury." Said Mr. Rogers gravely.

"But we'll need Tom to make our own journey, and- sorry, you're right here, I should include you in this; What should we do, Tom? These people are your family, so it should be your decision."

Mr. Rogers spoke first "Wait, allow me to propose my plan to you. I'm nowhere near as good at fighting as you two, and Joseph knows all my survival skills. I was going to suggest that I stay behind to protect them. I know that you can make it to the next area without me, and I will protect my charges with my life."

Tom brightened "That's perfect! I saw you out there earlier, I'm sure you can defend this place. But… Joe, are _you_ okay with that?"

Joe was quiet for a moment. He'd been with his butler all his life. He'd been trained for independence, but still, to not have the one person he considered a family member… And then, he thought about Tom. Tom might have never been apart from his family either. And he was asking him to leave them all behind, in danger. "Yes. It's the best idea I can think of by far. Mr Rogers, please take care of them just as well as you did me."

The aging butler nodded "Without a doubt. Now, I think we'd all better get some sleep."

They headed upstairs, and despite the dozen questions the two new friends had for each other, sleep claimed them in minutes.

* * *

The following day, Joe woke up, and fell into a quick morning preparation for setting out. He filled all of his water bottles in the kitchen, had some leftover rice for breakfast, and returned to the entry room on the second floor to wait for Tom. Tom was just getting up, and putting on his armour with sleepy fumbling.

"Morning" Tom yawned, stretching.

"Good morning. I've got everything sorted, so we can go as soon as you're ready." Said Joe, strapping the rucksack over his back.

"Just… one moment" Said Tom, sliding into his boots. He yawned again "Okay… Let's go. I'll wake up on the way." He made for the rope ladder at the window, and Joe nearly stopped him for fear he wasn't awake enough to use it. But before he could decide whether that would be a good idea or not, Tom had clambered out of the window and reached the floor. He followed, careful not to catch the rucksack on the window. He dropped to the ground shortly after, and was surprised to see Mr. Rogers and one of the nurses waiting for them.

"We're just here to see you off safely. Good luck out there, and remember, there's no shame in coming back if you get stuck." The butler said warmly. Joe nodded and smiled.

"Thomas… stay safe out there, okay? You're a son to all of us. You'll always have a home here, okay?" The nurse said, hugging the half-awake Tom. He mumbled something along the lines of 'thanks, mom' into her shoulder.

And the two teens walked off.

* * *

Traversing the Nexus was a tough task, but together the two descendants fought on. The bodies seemed to show up less often, but in larger groups. Joe was able to decimate them with the best spell he knew: Frost Nova, turning them into easy pickings for a few moments. There were several times when they encountered stone foes, something that made Tom a little nervous. "Are they getting stronger in response to us?" he asked.

"Maybe, but we can get stronger faster than them, I know it." Replied Joe.

After a long day, they decided to stop in a heavily forested area, and Joe pointed out a large tree that could be climbed for safety. He scrambled up, sitting in the middle of the area and checking for dangers such as insect nests or damage to the branches. He was about to help Tom up, since his armour afforded poor grip, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw some kind of large black creature in a higher branch, watching him with yellow eyes. He snapped around to get a better look, and the creature, visibly some kind of reptile, jumped away from the branch, spreading a pair of spiked wings and flying away quickly. Joe was unnerved for a moment, but after looking around he couldn't see any others, and helped Tom get up to the tree's centre. "Tom, did you just see that black lizard?" Joe said.

"No? But I heard some rustling when you weren't moving, and there's no wind here…" He replied.

"Well, I guess it's best not to worry about it. Do you want me to take first watch?" Joe offered.

The night passed uneventfully, and the next four days of travel were much the same as the first, with a lucky break on the third when they found a realm that was apparently just an entire market square from Azeroth, lined with dozens of empty stalls. They stocked up on beef jerky, and had a lunch the likes of which they normally could only dream about. They were full of stamina (and jerky) at the end of the fifth day, when they found a huge house, under siege by at least one hundred assorted bodies. Joe reached a conclusion first "Quick, someone might be inside! We need to destroy them!" And drew his rifle, shooting down a few of the weaker enemies before running to put more in his range. Tom readied the removal cannon, but came to the sudden realisation that it would also hit the house, and possibly knock out any kind of magical warding on it. Changing its mode, he focused on Joe and activated the Supershield, even though Joe was keeping his enemies at a distance. It didn't take long to wipe out the dirt bodies, and the plant bodies fared no better. Unlike the attack on the hospital, there were a large number of stone bodies and one body they had never seen before: A steel body, with no armour or clothes apart from some perfectly sculpted trousers, and a dangerous-looking broadsword as a weapon. Tom was actually responsible for wiping out the stone bodies, they may have been heavy hitters with spell resistance, but they moved slowly, allowing him to hold their attention and endure their attacks as Joe picked them off from afar. The steel body was a much greater problem. Joe's bullets pinged off meaninglessly, and it slashed Tom viciously across a shoulder, the blade sparking off the neck guard of his suit. Joe sent an Arcane bullet into its head, knocking it off guard, and Tom retreated. "It's really durable, I think it has resistance to pretty much everything. I'm going to try and use the removal cannon, can you draw it away from the house?"

"Gladly!" Joe shouted, and charged towards the unfazed steel foe. He got in close, baiting a swing of its sword which he easily dodged, and shot it at point blank with his rifle, which definitely got its attention. It took it's turn to charge, but before it could reach Joe, a flash of bright light struck it. Joe was unaffected, but the body staggered, as if suddenly poisoned. Joe kicked it back, its stomach folding like tinfoil, and put another arcane shot through its head, which also seemed to have turned to tin.

* * *

The problem dealt with, they turned to the house. The door opened, and they were greeted to an elderly man with greying hair. He might have been a war veteran, judging by the look in his eyes. "Come on in, adventurers. We were getting ready to face them, but you seem to have handled the problem for us!" He smiled, as they stepped forwards, Joe offering a handshake in greetings. The old man was delighted to accept. "Oh, that's nice. I haven't known a youth with such manners in years!"

A girl's voice rang out from another room "I try, Mister! Just… I'm really not very prepared to meet someone new? Who are the guests, I'm coming now!" A short brunette with her hair in a bun ran into the hallway. Her shirt was average Terran manufacturing; light pink with a few oil stains on one shoulder. She had a tool kit around her waist, a screwdriver poking out of her pocket, and some olive trousers that looked like they carried half a planet, covered in dozens of bulging pockets. Her arms were not particularly large and muscled, probably due to a lack of food, but she was clearly capable of lifting some seriously heavy objects. On her right hand, there was a red leather glove, with a metal symbol of the rank 'private' attached. She looked at the two newcomers. "Aw, sweet! Are you guys adventurers? I-I'm Cathori, Mechanical genius, driver of the best thing ever, and, uh, yeah! Who're you?"

Joe stepped forwards. "My name is Joseph Raynor, but I think Joe sounds better. Me and my friend Tom are the descendants of the heroes who went missing all those years ago. It's my goal to find all nine of us, and then find out what happened with our parents."

Cathori grinned "Ooh, noble goal there. I'd like to join you, if that's okay, I mean, I am the daughter of two of the heroes!" she smiled.

Her guardian spluttered into the conversation "Just one moment missy, don't I get a say in this?! I can't just let you waltz off with someone that you met thirty seconds ago, especially while they're in no state to fight! You two, there's a spare bedroom upstairs, and we've saved up a lot of water, so help yourselves. Once you're ready, come and talk to me and Cathori here before you all dash off. I'm not letting her go with just anyone!"

"Aww, you're no fun. Come on guys, I'll show you where everything is and I'll pack my bags!" She called back to the boys. She led them around the house, showing them her bedroom, in which the bed was barely visible thanks to the sheer number of electronic and mechanical parts strewn around the area, the bathroom, in which the bath had been replaced by a giant tank of water that easily held enough water to last a month, The spare bedroom, which was extremely dusty, and probably hadn't been used in forever, and then brushed over the kitchen, dining room, lounge and broom closet that was overflowing with junk, before stopping at the garage. Unlike all the other rooms, where she'd just pointed out the purpose quickly, here she waited a moment for dramatic effect, announced "And now, for the REAL stuff!" before swinging the door open.

The garage was huge, possibly intended to hold several tanks. The corners were piled high with scrap metal, and salvaged parts neatly lined shelves over a workbench in the corner. But all this was mere background to the centrepiece of the room. A huge mech stood, a once-broken shell repaired by its new owner. It had been painted in a deep red, but the fact it had effectively been raised from the dead stood out where the plastic windows in the cockpit were swirled and off-colour. It was bipedal in design, with caterpillar tracks on the feet and an enormous gun on each hand. Cathori spread her arms out to behold her creation, all traces of awkwardness gone from her voice. "Whaddaya think, guys? I call her the Firebird! Let me show you its features!" She said exuberantly.

"Um, okay!" Tom had stars in his eyes.

Cathori drew a remote from her trousers and pressed a button. A section of the bottom of the cockpit lowered to the floor, becoming a platform, and Cathori stepped onto it, pressing the button again to rise into her machine. She then called over an external microphone "All right, so it has a FLAMETHROWER!" the left arm whooshed a short jet of fire into the floor "A shrapnel gun I don't wanna use indoors, and a shockwave array I also don't wanna use indoors! Plus a mortar cannon, that guess what? Isn't safe for indoor use! Oh yeah, and my special engine thing that's real neat!" The mech stopped moving, and after a moment Cathori descended from the cockpit.

Tom knelt and clasped his hands, looking at Cathori in nothing less than total awe. "That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life." He said with complete certainty.

"I have to say, that is pretty great. And you built it all yourself?" Joe smiled, admiring the machine.

Cathori was in her element among the machines, filled with confidence "Yes! It took a really long time to gather all the parts, but it was totally worth it. I love building stuff. Come on, though, you two really do need rest, I'll go and talk to Mister."

"Oh? Who's 'Mister'?" asked Joe.

"Oh, uh, sorry, that's just what I call my foster dad… Mechanic… person… yeah." Said Cathori. The awkwardness made an abrupt return when they left the room.

* * *

The two weary travellers sat down in the spare bedroom, and began performing maintenance on their equipment. Tom was the first to speak "So… Cathori's really something, with that awesome mech and the skills to build it." He said.

"She is, isn't she? That's nothing short of a work of genius, she's definitely telling the truth about her heritage. So she's smart, honest, and strong. If she were just a little more confident at talking she'd be almost perfect in every way." Joe said, producing a dirty rag from his pocket and cleaning the barrel of his gun.

Outside the room, an eavesdropping Cathori blushed.

Tom finished his checks, and opted to just lie down on the floor for the time being. "So, how should we go about convincing her to join us in our quest? I don't actually have any knowledge on talking to girls my age. At all. I just know they're different."

Joe sat on the floor opposite him. "Well… My butler covered this briefly in his lessons on conversation. I can't remember it all perfectly, but I think we're supposed to try and just… respect that she might be different to us, and work from there?"

"That sounds like a good plan. I mean, we know she likes machines, so at least we can have some conversations with her. Maybe we should just ask her how we should treat her?" Said Tom

"That's a surprisingly good idea. Yeah, let's do that. Maybe we can even help her talk about other stuff a bit more confidently?" Said Joe. He stood up, stretched, and opened the bedroom door to reveal the faces of both Cathori and her guardian. "Oh… Hi! Did you hear all that?" Joe said, suddenly feeling a little worried that he'd gotten everything wrong and blown his only chance at recruiting Cathori.

Her guardian spoke, stern-faced. "We did. And personally, I think that shows you're at least going to try and be nice to her. I'm an old guy. I don't have any problems with her going with you, on one condition."

"What is that, sir?" Joe asked.

"I want you to do a better job at trying to solve her problems with confidence than I have." He said.

Cathori looked at him, and took a second to find her voice "Mister… I'm right here."

"They already know about it, Cathori. I think that going with them could really be a chance for you to grow in ways I didn't manage to get you to. It's your choice though, daughter." he replied.

Cathori turned to the boys and smiled "I'm coming with you. I want to know what happened just as much as both of you! Um, to our parents."

"Oh, thank you so much Cathori! We're glad you're joining. Just one thing… Will your carer be okay?" Asked Tom.

The old man grinned "Don't worry about me lads, I've served in more than my fair share of wars. It'll take more than a few stupid dolls to do me in."

Joe looked back for a moment. "Great. Well, I think we should get to sleep now, so… is there anything else we need to do?"

Cathori spoke "I… I should pack some food and water. I think that's it though so goodnight."

She hurried off, and the party went to sleep.

 **Author's notes: So, one of the later children made a cameo here. Not much to say other than Cathori is the first time I've tried to make a female character, so I really hope I didn't do anything silly without realising. Please tell me if I did.**

 **Tinh: Who said that immortality is genetic? I'm glad you like Joe, I think being likeable is a very important quality for a leader of a small group. Chromie is definitely in the worst situation, being immune to time control means being left in that room with no exit or anybody else until somebody else finds a way to get you out.**

 **Lucario: Well, half the answer to your question is in this chapter. Joe will definitely be the group's leader, and I did design his moveset to reflect that. Funnily enough, I played her because I really like her personality too.**

 **SkullyPirate: Nice to know people approve of my movesets, I was a little worried that it would be sub-par due to my lack of experience. He wouldn't be a bad laner, especially with Fire bullets, but he really shines when the whole team is together. And you're actually a bit close to guessing the previous owner of that coat. But I'll say this: It's nobody from Starcraft. Also, you got your comment in 20 minutes before I wrote this. Good timing.**

Cathori's moveset (Specialist)

Somewhat more HP than Hammer

Q: Fire field, create a large burning cone in front of you, dealing medium damage per second. Deals half as much damage against heroes. Medium cooldown.

W: Shrapnel, launch a projectile that explodes on contact with any terrain or enemy. If the shot impacts any object, it explodes in a 180 degree arc, facing the direction of impact, dealing medium damage. Enemies hit by the shot take double damage. High cooldown, and mana cost.

E: Shockwave, deals light damage to all nearby enemies and knocks them back. Medium cooldown.

R1: Mortar cannon, fire a bomb to an area, impacting after a short delay and slowing enemies hit by 50% for three seconds and dealing heavy damage. Medium ult cooldown.

R2: Proto engine, increases basic attack range by 100%, and all buffs applied to this hero now stack additively.

Trait: Flamethrower, your basic attack range is 50% shorter than other ranged heroes, and your basic attacks hit all enemies between you and your target.

Mount: Drive mode, after channelling for two seconds, increases move speed by 25%, cannot be broken by taking damage. Lasts 20 seconds, long cooldown.

Important talents: A lot of talents that offer % based buffs

Playstyle: A heavy AoE specialist likely to deal a lot of damage to nearby buildings and minions even when not directly attacking them. Brutal waveclear, and good sustained damage. However, not great at attacking at long range, and can easily die to highly mobile foes or divers such as Anub'arak.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Invisible Girl

The following morning, the two boys descended the stairs to find Cathori's guardian waiting for them. "Oh, good morning! Is Cathori ready?" Joe said.

"Yeah. She's just finishing her breakfast, there's some for you too. You can fill her in on your travel plans too." The old man replied.

They entered to dining room to find two bowls of dried fruits and a bit of bread waiting on the table. Cathori was rinsing off her bowl under a tap, careful to use very little water. "Oh, hey guys! I'm ready to go, I just need to know, well, where?" she said.

"Good morning. We're going to be travelling to the nursery next, because according to what my guardian knew, one of the children that was there when the Shattering occurred must have been descended from the heroes, like us." Joe explained, as Tom devoured his bread.

Tom swallowed and took his turn to speak "It's supposedly four days away. If we set out in half an hour, we can get there in good time, and arrive before the daily assault."

"Well, that's perfect! I'm just going to go and get the firebird out of the garage. I'll meet you outside. Oh, um, and I need to say goodbye to Mister." Cathori left the room, while Joe and Tom finished their breakfast.

They met outside just ten minutes later. Joe was a little surprised that Cathori's guardian hadn't come to wave them off, but he was sure that Cathori had said her goodbyes. Unlike the previous journeys, he was very excited for this, because he'd never actually been able to ride in a car before, let alone the roof of an eighteen-foot tall death machine. The engine revved, a single puff of black smoke was coughed out of a grill on the machine's back, and it drove off, while Cathori cheered from the cockpit.

* * *

Travel went from very difficult to very easy with the addition of Cathori. They were able to simply drive around a lot of opponents, and in the event that there was a particularly large group Joe simply sniped them with fire bullets, and the rode on through. Even though the mech did occasionally take some damage, Tom was able to just repair it. They stopped for a service break in some relatively harmless looking ruins of a castle. Cathori wasted no time in leaving the mech to stretch her legs, as Tom dug out some rations for lunch. Joe decided to take a quick look around the ruins, going through an archway and finding some particularly interesting flowers that had petals in purple, white and blue. He turned to go and get the others so they could see, and then he saw something familiar in the corner of his eye, resting on a broken wall. He turned to look at it and confirmed his suspicions; it was the same black lizard from the small forest a few days ago, or at least the same species. Joe had an idea, and calmly walked out and back to Thomas.

"Tom, do you remember that time on the way to Cathori's when I saw that lizard? I've found another one, or maybe the same one? Come and see, hopefully it hasn't moved." He beckoned Tom towards the archway, re-entering carefully and looking to the same point on the wall. Much to his relief, it was still there. Tom followed shortly after, and caught a brief glimpse of it before he tripped and fell flat on his face, making a loud crashing sound with his armour. The lizard immediately woke up, and moved back a bit, as if preparing to fly away from the group again. Cathori ran in, worried for Tom, but Tom picked himself up and pointed at the lizard, quietly telling her "I'm okay, but look at that. Do you know what it is?"

"I don't have a clue. Do you know?" she replied.

"Nope. It's pretty big though. Maybe we should leave it alone?" said Tom.

"Yeah, let's just let it be. We all know how hard it must be to live out here with all those bodies running around." Said Joe.

They packed up after a quick meal, and left. The night watch when they made a camp was taken solely by Joe and Tom, as they both insisted that Cathori had done the most work of them all day. Cathori tried to protest that she'd just held down the 'go' button for a few hours, but Joe insisted. Travel resumed as normal the next day, although Joe kept an eye out for the lizard. His efforts went unrewarded and he did not spot it. They passed into another area, where there was a magnificent sunset, composed of two suns at once. They were just getting below the horizon, so they could be looked at directly. Both Joe and Tom gazed at the palette of oranges spread across the sky. "So… Joe. Do you ever think about all the worlds there are in this place?" said Tom.

"Yes. It's amazing how many there are…" Joe said.

"Well… I'd like to become an explorer, once all this is done. It's just… I don't want to get used to this. I want to feel just as amazed every time I see a new realm. That's a bit greedy though, I guess. How about you? What are you going to do if we find our parents and succeed?" Tom was a little quieter than normal, but asked clearly.

"I… I'm not sure. I guess I always put all my time into thinking about finding everyone. Maybe I should just… Try to make sure everyone else stays okay? I don't know how it feels to actually lose someone important, only what it feels like to be missing someone you know should be there. I just want everyone to be okay." Joe replied, as the scenery changed once more.

* * *

It was the end of the third day as the Firebird rolled into view of something Joe was both expecting and thought impossible. It was the old nursery that he had been targeting, but the group had arrived a day early. This fact aside, he signalled to Cathori to stop here, and they walked up to the building to get a better look. It was rather large for a nursery, and had originally had huge windows and a front yard with a small chain link fence around it, according to the map's description. The front windows had had metal bars and sheets haphazardly but strongly welded to them, and wooden stakes were angled through the fence, to break a charge from attackers. Someone had built a makeshift sentry tower on the roof, but it appeared to be empty. Joe checked the sky for the time, and guessed it was somewhere between three and four o' clock. Joe stepped forwards and knocked the door, gently. "Hello? Is anyone in here?" He called.

There was the sound of some feet bumping inside; before the group heard the running stop and a girl's voice faintly saying "Hold on. It may be an enemy. Lewis, check for us." There was a pause, as Cathori pointed to a previously unseen security camera on the building, tapping Joe on the shoulder to get his attention. Joe looked at the camera awkwardly, and Cathori gave it a small wave.

There was a clicking sound, and the door unlocked. But strangely, the hallway was empty. Joe advanced cautiously, checking left and right, seeing nothing "I've come looking for someone. I don't mean to scare you… I'll give you help if there's anything I can do…" The door swung shut behind him, and the lights blacked out. "Tom! It's a trap! It's- OOMPH!" Somebody dropped onto his back from above, and pinned him to the floor before he could do anything. He struggled but the assailant had locked his arms behind his back, and was kneeling on them with one leg while clapping a hand over his mouth. The lights came back on, and Joe saw another person come in, holding a coil of rope.

"Quick, tie him up! I can't hold him here for long!" The attacker said to the new person, as Joe continued to try and stand up. However, this person was nowhere near the competency of the first, and as he fumbled with Joe's arms Joe found the opening he needed to jerk a leg out of the hold and spring to his feet, getting a look at the first attacker. She had short blond hair, a face that wore an expression that was cold as ice, and wore extremely light body armour that had some protective plating attached to the front, though it was clear that it promoted free and silent movement. He put his hands in front of himself as he shouted "Why are you doing this!?" before getting punched directly in the face, and falling over dazed.

Tom and Cathori had gone into panic mode when they heard Joe shout. Tom had kicked at the door as hard as he could, but Cathori had gone straight for the Firebird. "Outta the way, Tom!" she shouted, blasting the door with her flamethrower. Tom ducked to the side, and sprinted in to see the shocked faces of Joe's two captors, and a third person coming in from a side room. He dropped into a fighting stance.

"Everyone, wait!" Joe shouted. To his eternal relief, both sides were shocked enough to actually delay the imminent fight for a precious few seconds. "We're looking for someone descended from the heroes… I'm not going to let there be a fight between us, okay?"

One of the teens from the nursery looked at Joe and then at the first attacker, a slender girl with short blond hair. "Autumn, how hard did you hit this guy?" He said.

The other person, who'd fumbled with the rope, looked at her and said "And did you really have to jump the bandwagon and attack someone just because they turned up armed?"

Autumn sighed "I'm only trying to look out for you guys! We could have just captured them one by one, interrogated them, and then decided what to do with them! And I punched him as hard as I could, so he'll be fine."

Joe raised a hand from the floor "I'm fine. It was more surprise than anything."

Cathori's voice called from outside "He better be fine! I'll knock this place flat if you've hurt him!"

Autumn gave the mech a death stare "I'll punch you right out of that armour if you try!"

Joe got to his feet, brushing the dust off his jacket. "Nobody is going to be doing anything of the sort! I came here to make friends and I'm not going to let a hasty punch in the face stop me, okay? So can we start this encounter over, and pretend that that didn't happen?"

"… Oh, fine. I guess we're outgunned here anyways." Autumn said. "Do you have a medic? We're all out of bandages, but there are some spare clothes we could cut up."

Joe walked over to Tom "Don't worry. Tom, if you'd show them what you can do?" Tom nodded, and gave Joe a blast from his healing beam.

Autumn stopped dead, as did her companions. "You have actual healing _technology_?! I-I… I'm so sorry! But we need your help, right now!" She ran off. One of the two other people stepped forwards.

"We have a fourth person here. She took care of us three, growing up, but she got a nasty cut from one of those… things a few weeks ago, and she's barely alive. The wound's infected, and we've used everything we have to slow it down. Another few weeks and she'd be dead for sure. Please tell me you can heal things like that!" The boy had scraggly brown hair and glasses that were cracked in one lens.

Tom was shocked "I need to see her right away. Take me to her, quick!"

* * *

"Right away!" The boy took Tom's hand and guided him into a back room. Joe followed, and came in to see the three people standing around a bed with a young adult in it.

Tom took one look at the lady and said "Everyone apart from Autumn, out! Out!"

Autumn acted as if clockwork, homing in on Joe and the other boy with mechanical precision. "You heard the man! Get out, now!" They hurriedly left.

Tom knelt at the bedside, checking the condition of the woman. They were unconscious, but had a pulse, even though it was weak. He looked to Autumn "Listen. I grew up in a hospital, and I'm trained in just about every form of medicine and healing in three universes. But look. I'm not going to operate unless you're sure that she would allow me to. Does she have any reason to refuse healing?" His tone was deadly serious, a far cry from his usual self.

Autumn was standing bolt upright in the corner "No, sir."

"Okay. I'm going to ask you to find me whatever I need to operate on her. If you can't find anything, tell me. Right…" He peeled back the duvet, to get a look at the wounds. "Damn it, there's something in there. I'm going to need medical alcohol, the sharpest knife you have…" Joe leaned away from the door at this point, and went to sit in the corner. The door burst open seconds later, and Autumn moved out with a face that said 'get in my way now and you're dead'. She returned mere seconds later with the requested items, and Joe continued to wait. After a few minutes, he turned to the other boy.

"I never asked… What's your name?" he whispered, mindful of the concentration Tom would need in the next room.

"I'm Simon. And my brother, in the hall, he's called Lewis. Sorry about Autumn, she's really good at following orders, but when it comes to actually leading… She tends to see every unknown as a threat." Simon explained.

"Oh, so that's why she attacked me… My gun probably didn't help, did it?" Joe said.

"Yeah, it's a good thing ours only have enough bullets for emergencies or she'd have held you at gunpoint until she'd asked you every question under every sun, and then had Lewis cross-reference all your answers. Mom might have died in the time it would take." Simon said.

"Your guns have limited bullets? Did you say that right? It's a really simple incantation to conjure ammo for things like that, I could easily teach it to you." Joe whispered.

"What, really? If you show us that, Autumn would let you stay forever, no complaints. A way to attack at range forever… We could safely fight against those things forever. You'd be our saviour." Simon was awed.

"Well… I don't mean to stay for long. I'm looking for someone descended from the heroes. Once I've found them, I'm going to try and convince them to join my group. I want to find out what happened to our parents." Joe said.

Simon smiled "You're looking for Autumn. She's the daughter of Kharazim the Monk, and Nova, the Ghost. And she's got the skills to prove it; she's trained herself to be more like them every day. She's basically a real, live ninja with military discipline. It's a shame that she could never figure out how to harness her father's healing power, it's… well, it's been tough for her knowing that she has the potential to use healing magic to save Mom, but can't."

"Wow… that must have been terrible for her. At least Tom can heal the poor lady now. Maybe if I show you guys what I know about magic, then Autumn will come with us?" Joe said.

"I will" Said Autumn. Both the boys jumped.

"When did you get here?" Joe squeaked. He regained his composure after a second "Is the patient okay?"

"Well, I've been in the room for the entire operation. I just felt I should keep an eye on you, in case anyone dared to argue with your 'no fighting' rule. I'm not going to let some silly leftover apprehension risk the life of my mother. And I've been listening through the wall, Tom's thinking out loud and it sounds like he's doing well." Autumn said. "Now, the guns. Show Lewis and Simon how to conjure ammunition, and anything else you think will be useful, and provided mom makes it through the operation, I'll join. Got it?"

Joe nodded. "Got it. Come on Lewis, let's go find your brother. I'll get Cathori too, I don't think she knows magic."

* * *

Joe was halfway through helping Cathori and the twins tap into their ambient magic when Autumn ran into the room, making almost no noise while doing so. "It's a success!" She said "The doctor says that mom will be okay to walk by tomorrow, and should have nothing worse than a scar as long as she eats properly for the next few weeks."

"Really?!" Simon exclaimed, his voice filled with joy, as Lewis both jumped up to hug Autumn, and began crying in relief.

Autumn looked at Joe "It's all thanks to that doctor. He's exhausted now, but we owe him everything. If you can teach them what they need to protect themselves, then the deal is complete and I'll join you." A hint of warmth had entered Autumn's usual tones, and she was smiling with hope. "I'm going to go and help the good doctor to clean himself up and get him something to eat. I'll be upstairs if you need me. Lewis, make sure you pay attention now, it wouldn't be fair if Joe had to teach you twice." She left the room.

"What a relief" Joe exhaled "I'm happy for you two. Are you ready for me to continue?"

* * *

That evening, the bodies were met with a veritable storm of bullets, flames and the occasional spell. Lewis had displayed aptitude for magic, and Joe's leadership turned the teenagers into defenders. And considering that all three of them had pistols with limitless ammunition, on top of Cathori turning wave after wave of them into ash and slag, the defence wasn't nearly as difficult as it could've been. Aside from a particularly annoying group of bodies that charged for the door, and were promptly shot down by Autumn, nothing even came close to breaching the defences. After an hour, the assault ceased, and Joe cheered in victory, before turning to check the two younger boys for exhaustion. Simon was sat on the floor, giving a thumbs-up, and Lewis was performing a victory dance.

Autumn walked up to Joe. "Incredible. Finally, we don't have to worry that every day could be our last. I'll gladly join you, but… I'm not sure how much good I'll be in a direct fight. I was never able to build great physical strength and my marksmanship needs a lot of training."

Cathori drooped out of her mech, and walked up to the two "I can help with that! Well, probably… Just… Do you have any of the technology your mom used? You know cloaking fields, special tech gloves, that stuff?"

Autumn looked at her with her usual cold expression "Yes. I have one cloaking device, but it was damaged two years ago, and also a portable laptop with a few programs for analysing and possibly hacking, but it's run out of power. Can you fix any of that?"

"Oh, I'd love the challenge! Give me five hours, and some wires!" Cathori said.

The night passed peacefully for the inhabitants of the nursery, and Joe slept with ease. However, Tom, Cathori and Autumn were busy in a room on the top floor, where Cathori was putting her skills to great use. Autumn watched over her, occasionally fetching some parts from the storage of the Firebird, and the occasional glass of water. Cathori was completely absorbed in her work, visualising hundreds of 'what if's' and 'maybes' for every item Autumn showed her. By midnight, Cathori and Tom had finished their creative spree, and Autumn was testing out the equipment. The cloaking field had been attached to a makeshift dynamo, and could now be charged for a few seconds at a time. Cathori had also made something from scratch: An electrified tripwire, which could be planted between two points for an unlucky victim to stumble into. The ends of the wire were encased in small rubber capsules for handling, one of which had an activation button. And the laptop, previously a machine designed for field use capable of withstanding moderate damage, was now a reinforced multitool. It could theoretically withstand being crushed under the Firebird, was waterproof, fireproof, and shock-proof, and had a total of three special functions. It could analyse anything, providing valuable data on its secrets, it could jam communications, even magical ones in theory, and it could automatically hack into systems, although that program was already on there. It took a while for them to test everything adequately, but they just managed to get to sleep before midnight.

 **Author's notes: Another chapter another child. And you are correct, that lizard is Brightwing's child and will be joining later.**

 **SkullyPirate: Thanks! If you need another hint… There aren't many characters in Blizzard that have held the title 'Admiral'.**

 **Tinh: The answer to that would be Tychus Findlay. Also, regarding the ages of the party, all of them apart from one were born in the four year period in between the heroes entering the Nexus and leaving for the raven lord's realm. So bearing everything in mind, they're mostly between seventeen and fifteen. As a matter of fact, Joe is seventeen, Tom and Cathori are sixteen, and Autumn is also seventeen. And if all you've got growing up is your mother's engineering books, it turns out you can get pretty good at that.**

 **Lucario: Yes, they did indeed see. And you think Stim drone is going to break it alone? Consider this: Abathur hat. With the movespeed from 16.**

Autumn's moveset (specialist)

Q: Stealth Dynamo, channel for 1 second before gaining stealth for X seconds. Taking damage interrupts channeling. Medium cooldown.

W: Electric tripwire, set an invisible tripwire that causes the first enemy hero to cross it to take X damage and slow by X%, also alerting you. Medium cooldown.

E: Info research, Channel on a visible enemy for one second to inflict vulnerable for X seconds, reveal for ten seconds, and reveal the remaining cooldown of their Heroic ability.

R1: Jammer, All enemies lose vision granted by allied units for X seconds. Short cooldown.

R2: Override structure, change the alignment of an enemy structure to friendly for a short period, and cause the structure to take 10% more damage after this expires. Long cooldown.

Trait: Covert ops, Using abilities does not break stealth, and while cloaked enemies cannot hear any sound made by this hero.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Living Shield

As the sun rose on the nursery, the first person to wake up was surprised that they actually woke up at all. Autumn's guardian pinched her arm. No, she wasn't dreaming. She cautiously peeled back the bedsheet, intending to see how close she was to death. No wound was visible.

"Am I dead?" She wondered aloud. She tentatively left the bed taking great care with the side of her stomach, as if the skin was a fragile illusion that might shatter. She brushed the door open, and saw Lewis, Simon and another unfamiliar boy sleeping on the floor of the room.

Joe woke up at the sound of the medical room's door opening. He heard someone coming out, and rose from his blankets to see a confused woman looking out of the door. "Oh, you're awake! Autumn will be overjoyed. Oh, my name is Joe. Joe Raynor."

The guardian stepped out and sat down in front of Joe "How am I alive? I shouldn't have survived that… Goodness, how have the kids been without me? Are they both okay? Is Autumn okay?"

Joe smiled "Well, I only got here recently, but they're all unharmed. Autumn took a leader's role while you were injured, and she got them through everything okay. We have a really skilled healer with us, and we offered to heal you. Oh, I think I missed your name?"

"I'm Selena Mara. Though, the kids have grown up just calling me mom. I should go and thank your healer, I owe them everything. And if you're with them, you can stay here as long as you want too." Selena offered.

"Well, I appreciate the offer, but I'm on a quest to find all of the people like me, the descendants of the heroes. I was planning to leave once I was sure that you'd be alright and that you could handle everything without… Oh, I shouldn't tell you like this. You just woke up from the brink of death. Do you want me to get you some water? Maybe find a seat?" Joe said.

"Oh my, is Autumn… Is something wrong with her? Please, just tell me quickly." The carer said, looking worried.

"Well, I'm sure you know that she's the daughter of two heroes. I asked her if she would join us on our quest, and she said yes, if we could fully heal you and make sure that you and Lewis and Simon would be well-protected by teaching you magic. We've done both, but… don't worry, I'll make sure you get to talk to her before we go, and if you're worried about anything, then I'll do my best to fix it." Joe explained.

"I… see… Well, I… I'm going to need to talk to her about this. Although if you've really done all that for us, then I don't really think I can complain. Could you fetch her for me? I don't really want to search the house right now." Selena looked at the floor, as if it held the answers to every question she could ask.

"Of course! Do you want me to go and get our healer as well? He should probably take another look at you." Joe quickly got to his feet, trying his best not to disturb the still-sleeping boys. He first checked the kitchen, which was empty, and the room he'd taught magic in, which only had Cathori. Tom and Autumn were both in the first room he checked upstairs, and Autumn was already awake, despite the early time. Tom was sleeping face down on the desk, and it was clear that there was only a blanket over his shoulders because Autumn had placed it there. "Good Morning. Your mom is awake, and she wants to talk to you." Joe whispered.

Autumn jumped up and brushed past Joe at the words, with a quick but clear "Thanks". Joe turned to see her scramble down the stairs, still making no noise whatsoever.

Joe turned to Tom "Hey... Tom, the patient's up… Wake up…" He tapped tom on the shoulder, hoping that would be enough. It wasn't. "Tom. You gotta wake up. We shouldn't keep them waiting."

Tom rolled off the chair, and landed face-up on the floor with a thump. "…Mor…Ning." He yawned. A small diode that was left on the bench had been pressed into his face all night. He yawned again. "Night…"

Joe knelt "Tom, no. The patient needs you to look at them now, you can sleep while we travel."

Tom sat up, eyes barely open "Oh… 'kay. I'll go see her." He got to his feet incredibly slowly, and made for the door. "Can you get my armour?" He asked.

Joe picked it up from the corner of the room. "Done. Be careful on the stairs." He said.

They walked in on Autumn and Selena at what appeared to be the end of their conversation. Selena appeared to be at ease.

"The doctor is…"He yawned, interrupting himself. "In. And he just woke up." Tom said.

Selena smiled "Hello there! You must be the one responsible for saving me. I owe you my life. Autumn says you're leaving in half an hour, so could you just give my injury another look?"

"Sure. Could you just lift your shirt, on the left?" Selene obliged, showing off the scarring on the side of her stomach. Tom gently felt it. "Okay, you'll have that scar for life, but it shouldn't ever cause you problems. The healing has proceeded as expected, so you should be back to full power after three weeks, as long as you manage to have at least two meals a day. You can walk and perform other low-energy tasks, and I recommend exercise after the first week, but don't try running or fighting for two. If you injure yourself in any way, then I advise you stop and rest, then return here." He said.

"Excellent. You and your friends can go and make yourselves something to eat. Autumn, we still have food, right?" Selena said.

"Yes ma'am. We have six cartons of apple juice, a loaf of bread, and assorted cans of food for emergencies. Scavenging has been restricted, as we needed to tend to you." Autumn said.

"If you want to, you can give these people one of our cans. They've earned it." Selena responded.

"Thank you, ma'am." Autumn said "Come on, the day's not getting any longer." She sad to the boys.

In the kitchen, Cathori was waiting "Oh, um, hey, Autumn! I was about to go and find you. Do you know if we're allowed to eat any of this stuff? I mean, I have some food in the Firebird if we're not…" She trailed off.

"I've been given permission to provide you and your allies with breakfast. I believe two cartons of the apple juice, from that shelf, and two slices of bread each should suffice. And as for you, Thomas…" Autumn began moving some tins aside.

"You can call me Tom. Thomas just sounds too formal." Tom said.

Autumn stood up, and offered Tom a small can with a green label. "Tinned peaches in syrup. Rare and possibly the most delicious item I've ever found. You've earned them."

"Wow, thanks. Guys, would you like to try this too?" Tom said. There was a course of yeses.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, and the group was ready to depart. Cathori was putting the finishing touches on the makeshift front door she'd constructed to replace the one she'd melted. It was only a door from one of the upstairs rooms reinforced with strips of metal, but it was better than nothing. Tom, Joe and Autumn were sitting on top of the Firebird, ready to leave. Tom was slowly falling asleep again, and Autumn was checking her gun was loaded and cleaned. Cathori finished the door, and climbed into the cockpit, as Lewis and Simon waved them off. The engine revved, and they drove off, in search of the next child.

They travelled carefully while Tom was resting, trying to avoid undue combat. However, after an hour and a half there was a patch of extremely dry and sunny land, with soil that was baked into hard, bumpy shapes. The blazing sunlight along with the jiggling was enough to break his rest, and he felt okay to stay awake afterwards. Halfway through the day, in a vale with walls of curved ice, Joe noticed Autumn writing something down in her laptop.

"Hey, what are you doing? You should check out this place, look at the way the light reflects off all this ice." Joe said, leaning to get a better look at the laptop.

Autumn smiled "I'm actually recording notes on the lands we pass through. I'm just taking a picture of each, and giving them a short name. This way, I can find particularly good places again. What should I call this one?"

Joe paused for a moment. It was very sunny here, and the light reflected in magnificent ways off the ice. And when he looked closer, he could see the ice was so clear, that the rock face below was visible. Almost like some kind of crystal… And some of these columns, either through natural phenomenon or otherwise, had very obvious sharp surfaces. "Diamond edge. I think that fits this place, with all these pillars. Though it sounds a bit dramatic…" he said.

"I like that name. It's nice and catchy, which is the most important thing if I want to remember here." Said Autumn, as the land changed again.

* * *

At the end of the third day, everyone was in good spirits over the fact the last thing they'd found was an abandoned inn. The roof and walls were overgrown, and the windows had fallen out of some of the top floor rooms, but downstairs was completely protected from the elements. Joe led the party inside, and offered to go and check the storage for anything they could eat or drink while the rest of the group made beds on the floor. He found the doorway to the room was ajar, and it swung open with a creak. Joe looked over the room. There was some fruit on a shelf, half eaten and past its best. Some dried meats were hanging in one corner, although of the four hooks there had been on the wall, two had been ripped out of the wall and were now on the floor, with the ends slightly corroded. Joe opened all the cupboards, finding nothing particularly noteworthy apart from a few strips of beef jerky in a wooden box. This stuff was weirdly common in all these places from Azeroth, he decided. He left it on the counter and went to check the pantry. He heard a scratching sound as he turned his back, and spun around to see if there was something behind him.

The lizard jumped, and fell off the counter in surprise, sending jerky everywhere. Joe walked up, trying to get a look at it. "This lizard again? Either they're really, really common, or you're following us."

The lizard scrambled for an exit, but the only way out of the room was the door, which needed to be pulled open. Joe looked at it, more closely. It had mainly black scales, and bright yellow eyes. It's wings clearly resembled those of a faerie dragon, but had less pronounced tips, and were covered in spikes along the front edges. It had some kind of natural armour covering its thighs and head, and upon closer inspection, antennae that were very thin, and flexible. Its tail was rather long, and had a few spikes along the top. It backed itself into the furthest corner away from Joe, and stared at him. Giving him a good look at the fact it had a pair of chunky, downwards-facing fangs. Joe stepped forwards. It made a sort of spitting sound, and its wings glowed a little. "St… Sta…" It coughed. Joe looked at it in confusion.

"Are you… trying to talk? No, that can't be possible… right? I guess I could just cast my own translation charm… Though it seems a waste. If the target isn't sentient then I wouldn't be able to have much of a conversation. But… Maybe I can calm you down enough to open the door without getting attacked? Here goes…"

But before Joe could begin the spell, the reptile spat something onto the floor, and said "Stay back!" in a voice that sounded awfully like it hadn't been used… ever. It was very throaty, and somewhat deep but still not particularly so. Joe stopped. The object on the floor fizzed, for some reason.

"So you _can_ talk." Joe said. "Look, are you following us? I don't really have a problem with that or anything, but it would be nice to know." The lizard was still looking around for an exit.

"…No. I… thought you were following me." It said.

"Oh… well, we haven't. It seems really unlikely that we'd see each other three times out of pure luck, though. What's your name? You're obviously intelligent." Joe said.

"…I do not have a name. I do not know the name of my… type… of… being." It shook its head. "Words are… hard."

"Oh… sorry. I guess languages are pretty difficult to learn. Still, you don't have a name? That must be strange, I can't imagine having no name. And if you mean you don't know what species you are, then I'm afraid I can't help you there either." Joe said.

"Why are you… not like others?" it asked.

"Not like others? Who are they? What do you mean?" Joe sat on the counter.

"You do not attack me. You do not sound like them. They… I do not know how to talk about them. They look like you. But they have less… self. They are also made of different… things." It said.

"Oh, those bodies that appear everywhere. Yeah, they're pretty nasty. I think they were modelled after my species, humans, but we're mostly different to them. They attack us, too." Joe said.

Tom opened the door to the room "Hey, Joe? Are you in here?" And at that moment, the lizard bolted, slipping through the small gap in the door, past a very surprised Tom, and then out of a window. "Was that the lizard again?!" he said.

"Yeah. Turns out it's intelligent and can talk. But I don't think it's ever actually seen a person before. I wonder where it learned to speak… Anyway, I found a bit of food. Come on, Cathori will be interested to know." Joe replied.

The night passed uneventfully aside from Autumn discovering a Hearthstone board under one of the counters. Unfortunately, it only had two decks with it, so it was a little repetitive. Cathori and Autumn didn't doubt the lizard had been around, they'd overheard Tom's surprise.

* * *

The predicted time of the journey had been five days, yet it was only the end of the fourth day when the party came across their destination. Joe was completely confused over this, but he hoped it was more than just an error in the map causing him to reach destinations faster than expected. The house in his view was plated in a golden metal, although Joe doubted it was actual gold, since it had clearly withstood the years without much damage. The Firebird parked just outside the house's front garden, and the four took a moment to get ready. Joe went over his plan with everyone. "Okay, so we don't know how these people have fared over the years, and whether or not they'll trust us. Fighting is absolutely not allowed. If they attack, we're just going to back off. I they let us in, then we should all be helpful, and try to make sure that if there's anybody else in there, they'll be okay without their heroic child. I'll go in as the spokesperson, but if you need to say something, just say it. Now, before I go in… Can you see any traps, Autumn?"

Autumn activated her invisibility and darted around the garden, light on her feet. After a few moments, she returned to Joe. "No, sir. The area is safe. However, I'm not familiar with all forms of technology. Please be aware of potential magic traps."

"Thanks. You don't have to call me sir, though. Let's go, guys." And Joe walked up to the door, followed by the group. He gave it a quick knock, and waited for a moment. "Hello? Is anybody inside?" He called.

A new voice belonging to a grown man called from the window "Yeah, there are two people in here! That door won't open, we've barricaded it with a fridge! You'll have to warp inside. Wait a moment…" The group turned to see one of the stones in the garden pathway flip over and reveal a very unusual golden pad. "Stand on that, and we can bring you in!"

Autumn spoke to the group. "I will go first, in case it's a trap. I'll signal from the window if it's safe for you to enter." And she hopped onto the pad, disappearing.

A minute passed, before Autumn called from the window. "It's safe. You may enter."

The remaining three teens entered the house. It was absolutely not what they'd been expecting, given the exterior. It resembled a normal house more than anything, with white walls, carpet and normal doors. They were met by Autumn and two new people. One was a human apparently in his forties, but had arms that rivalled Orcs for muscle. His short hair and white tank top, along with the fact he was currently a little sweaty gave the clear impression he was into sports. The other person was a boy who appeared to be the youngest of any of the heroic children. He had somewhat messy dark brown hair, which seemed to naturally bunch up into tufts. Joe could have sworn it was also slightly thicker than normal hair. He had a short stature, but still had impressive muscles visible against his shirt. More interestingly, he had pieces of golden armour that only seemed to protect his shoulders, waist, knees, feet, and forearms. The armour looked more suited to guarding against falling off a skateboard than battle against armed opponents. The only part of his body that truly seemed protected by the armour was his hands. Joe stepped forwards, offering his normal handshake. The guardian returned it, with a surprisingly soft grip.

"Joe Raynor. Pleased to find you two alive." He said.

"Joe Calzaghe. Pleased to meet you." The athlete replied. "You all look a bit tired. Come downstairs, I'll find you somewhere to sit. Junior, I think you should introduce yourself."

"Hi! I'm Jack 'Junior' Oxton. What do you think of my armour? Look how shiny it is!" He held out an arm, displaying the heavy-looking gold gauntlet.

"I like the colour. But, well…" Joe fumbled, not wanting to point out the flaws within his first minute of knowing Jack.

"It doesn't look protective enough, am I right?" Jack beamed "Don't worry, this has more to it than meets the eye! These things all create shields for me. I could walk right into an attack and be _fine!_ "

Tom walked up "Oh, man these all generate shields? What else can you do?"

"Don't worry about that right now, how cool do you think Mr. Calzaghe is? Oh, you've got to see him throw a punch, this one time he managed to hit his target fast enough to just knock the head clean off, it was _so cool!_ " Jack seemed to just get perpetually more excited.

His guardian interjected "Don't go too crazy, Junior. Calm down a bit and tell them what you can do."

Jack took a deep breath "Okay, so Joe Calzaghe is and always will be the best boxer there ever was, and ever will be. And he taught me how to fight every single day for as long as I can remember, so I can punch like him, but even if I'm not as good as him at boxing for fun, I have some _really_ cool stuff I inherited from my parents. I can teleport!" He zipped a short distance, to the end of the corridor. "And if I try really hard, I can give people shields, and I can actually absorb my shields to make myself really powerful! Plus I can slow down my own time a bit. But… That's boring."

Joe had a shocked expression "Woah, I knew you would be something special, like us, but you're practically a superhero. That is really cool. I bet you don't have much trouble with those bodies that attack everything"

"Well… yeah, they suck. Although sometimes I find these ones made of tougher stuff. They're really annoying." Jack said.

They reached the living room, and sat in various locations. Autumn sat next to Joe and whispered "He's really annoying. Can I disappear for a bit?"

Joe raised an eyebrow. "I like him. We could always use some extra cheer. But if you want to go somewhere nearby, then okay."

He barely noticed Autumn leave, as the older boxer came in carrying a jug of water and a few disposable plastic cups that apparently had been washed. "We've only got water right now. Help yourselves, and don't break the cups, we still need to find some more of those."

"Okay Jack, I'll tell you about myself now." Joe said, draining his cup. "I'm Joseph Raynor, son of the heroes Jaina Proudmoore and James Raynor. I've made it my mission to find all the people like me: the children of the missing heroes." Joe stopped, as Jack wanted to speak.

"Count me in. I am so ready for an adventure. This is going to be _awesome_." He said.

"Wow, that's all it took to convince you to join us? Well, thanks. Is this okay with you, Mr. Calzaghe?" Joe asked.

"…Yes. I'm not quite sure how old you are, Jack, but I know I can trust you to stay safe out there. But listen, Raynor."

"You can just call me Joe"

"No, that's my name, it feels weird. Raynor, I want to make sure that I can trust your strength and judgement. Come with me. You too, Jack. I'll need your help setting up the course." Calzaghe said.

Jack froze "Wait you're putting him through that one?" he smiled though, and looked at Joe "No, you can do it. I'm sure you can!"

The party followed the boxer to the other side of the house, where a large garden could be seen, full of equipment, wooden planks nailed into obstacles, and a few practice mannequins, most of which were held together by tape, wood, and possibly divine intervention. Calzaghe picked up the armchair blocking the door, and moved it to one side. They walked into the garden.

"Okay, welcome to my obstacle combat course. The rules are pretty simple. Just make it to the end, without skipping anything. Raynor, you're the leader of your group. I want you to make it through this course in less than three minutes as a goal. Make it, and I'll decide if you're capable of keeping people safe. Follow Jack, he'll show you which obstacle comes next. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Joe said.

"Okay. GO!" Calzaghe shouted.

* * *

Joe ran to first obstacle, a rope suspended from a tree. "Get up to the top!" He jumped as high as possible, grabbed the rope and used his momentum to pull himself even higher. He shuffled up as fast as he could, then prepared to jump down, before seeing Jack directly below him. He instead swung to the main body of the tree, and shimmied down that. "Okay, get through the tires!" there were about a dozen tires laid out on the floor in front of him. Joe sprinted for them, and dashed through; ignoring the fact they were full of very muddy water. He looked forwards, seeing a training dummy. "Retrieve the flag!" He ran forwards, and saw a dirty blue flag nailed to the dummy's back. He, reached for it, but his hand was topped by a shield. He drew his rifle, and angled it so the bullet wouldn't risk hitting the dummy itself or the spectators, and fired twice to break the shield. He somewhat carefully pulled the nail and flag out and ran to the next area. There was another dummy, with an arm painted red. "Okay, put the dummy's arm in a sling. As if it were broken". Joe was a little surprised at the sudden medical test, but folded the flag diagonally, and used it to create a makeshift sling. He tied it behind the dummy's neck, and ran onwards. "Right, last thing! Don't get hit!" Jack threw a frisbee, and Joe swerved to the side to avoid it. Both he and Calzaghe pulled out a stack of a few Frisbees, and threw them towards Joe. Joe hit the ground as fast as possible, causing the first two to miss by a long shot, then rolled to his feet to reflexively duck, jump and lunge his way past the little plastic disks. Only ten were thrown in total, but it felt like a hundred for Joe. However, Calzaghe reached his last shot, and Joe was untouched. Joe readied himself for the throw…

And Calzaghe threw it at the bench, where everyone else was sitting. Joe lunged like a cat for a mouse. He had no doubt they were off-guard, and that this was Calzaghe's last way of testing him. As he lunged, he grabbed his rifle by the barrel, and thrust its stock forwards, extending his reach just enough to swat the Frisbee to the floor before it hit a very shocked Cathori in the face. Calzaghe grinned.

"That was pretty much perfect, Raynor. Do you want me to go over everything you did right?" Calzaghe said.

"Phew, yes, please." Said Joe.

"Okay, so first I had the tree. Aside from checking your upper body strength, and of course determination to do this, it was to check if you were aware of your surroundings. You noticed Jack, and didn't land on him, so you passed. Next, the tires. There to wear you down and to check you could stay focused even when muddy and damp. Then the Flag. I was hoping to see you guess there was some kind of catch, and you came up carefully enough that I'm okay with that. The bubble would have gone down to punching, but you used your gun responsibly so I'm okay with that, too. The sling was to see if you could take something unexpected in your stride, and you did indeed, and lastly, the Frisbees. I meant to use them as a distraction, to see how good your friends were at this, but you actually did too well and managed to block the last shot. So overall, you passed with flying colours, and I'm happy for Jack to go with you." He explained.

"Yes! Oh, thank you. Is it okay if we stay the night, though? We've been travelling all day." Joe said, inwardly hoping for a chance to clean the mud off his jacket.

"Of course. Come on, we've got a few hours before the ground men rise. You can get all your stuff dried." Calzaghe offered.

* * *

The fight against the bodies was unexpectedly difficult for the night. The majority were grass, but there were a lot of stone foes and even three of the steel ones, which were all obliterated by Tom and his removal cannon. But most interestingly of all was a body made fully of water, that was healing the other bodies. However, Jack punched through their defences and made short work of it, and before they knew it, the invasion was over.

The heroes turned in for the night, and slept well.

 **Author's notes: So, next chapter there will be a double recruitment. Also, Joe Calzaghe is a real boxer, from my country. Although he's retired now, he was very famous.**

 **Skully: No problem! Have you worked it out yet? And I think Stealth dynamo is fairly different to Ghost protocol, since your invisibility can be broken and you need to channel it without taking damage.**

 **Lucario: Maybe, but you're using a lot of ultimates and other things. If the attack failed your team would be in a horrible position. Also, you will not need to hold in the scream much longer. Just try not to spill it over into other stories when it happens.**

Jack's moveset (Warrior, age 15)

Low HP for a warrior

Q: Gauntlet swing, knock all foes in a small arc back and briefly stun them, dealing light damage. Short cooldown.

W: Shield dispersal, give all allied units in the target area a small shield, lasting a medium time. Long cooldown.

E: Psionic blink, warp forwards a medium distance (about twice as far as a Tracer blink, but no extra charges). Medium cooldown.

R1: Danger rush, Activate to consume your shields equal to up to 75% of your maximum HP, and gain 1% Attack speed and attack damage for each 1% consumed. Lasts about as long as Illidan's metamorphosis. Long cooldown.

R2: (Passive) Time field, All damage you take is now delayed by five seconds.

Trait: Shield of the Templar, passively generate shields equal to 8% of your max health every X seconds, equal to up to 40% of your maximum health.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Acid and Stone

Joe woke up early, as normal. He looked around the living room, seeing Tom lying on the floor, Cathori face down on the sofa, and Autumn nowhere nearby. Joe wasn't worried for her. He walked over to the window and watched the sun rising, guessing it was around six o' clock. Cathori normally woke up around seven, and Joe suspected Tom could sleep until the end of time unless someone woke him up. He decided to review his plans for the next few days of travel. Taking the paper out of his bag, he spread it over the floor, and took out a pencil to make some notes. It was a predicted week away, but it seemed that his group had been able to move faster than expected recently, so he noted that he might arrive in six or even five days. The inhabitant there was the son of Sonya, renowned warrior, and Chen, the brewmaster. Joe scribbled down some notes on supplies, trying to work out if there was any way to increase the chance he'd find a store, or market, or castle. No ideas that seemed guaranteed to work came to mind. He was about to close the map, when Autumn was beside him. He internally jumped a bit, but remained calm on the outside.

"Morning, Autumn. I'm just checking up on our plans for travel." Joe whispered.

"Good. Jack is awake, and I've made sure he packed items that will actually be useful on our trip. Can I see these plans? A second opinion could be valuable." Autumn didn't need to whisper to avoid waking the others. Joe found that a little confusing, but didn't question it.

"Sure. We're here, and our next location is there. I originally thought it would take us a week, but we've recently started arriving ahead of schedule, so, I'm predicting it'll take us less time. Oh, Do you know if we're allowed to take any food from this place's kitchen?" Joe asked.

"No, but I think that Jack's carer will wake up soon. We can ask him then." Autumn replied.

* * *

The heroes woke up over the next hour, and had a light breakfast. Joe Calzaghe was rather surprised at the skill with which Jack had packed his backpack, at which Autumn slyly smiled. He met up with the heroes in the front garden of the house, to send them off. Jack was waiting on top of the Firebird, talking to Cathori. "This mecha is awesome! It's like you jumped right out of one of those old TV shows I like, like Power Rangers or something!" He was practically buzzing with excitement.

"I, uh, what is a power ranger? Is it some kind of scanner?" Cathori was thoroughly confused.

Jack looked like he was preparing an entire speech on exactly who the power rangers were, and how on earth could she not have seen the show at some point, and how the firebird was basically the best thing ever, when Calzaghe called to him from the ground.

"Goodbye, Jack! Come back safely, I'll be waiting!" He shouted. He turned to Joe Raynor, who was the last one to board "Keep him safe for me, okay? He's as much a son to me as my real children, wherever they are."

Joe nodded "I'll protect him with everything I've got. I'll make sure he gets back here in the end. We'd better go now, but I'm wishing you the best of luck." He climbed the side of the Firebird, and found a comfortable sitting spot on one of the folded-in arms. "Okay, is everyone here? Tom, Cathori, Autumn, Jack? Yeah, that's everyone. Okay, Goodbye Mr. Calzaghe! Off we go!"

* * *

Travel was unusually difficult. Every area seemed to have dozens of the bodies within, and often contained stone bodies. Joe was the one primarily responsible for clearing a path, although whenever the team needed some more punch, Jack would blink off the roof of the Firebird and simply smack the offending body out of the way. Autumn was using the mass of enemies for target practice, but even when she landed shots, her gun simply didn't have the offensive capabilities of Joe's. Nonetheless, even if you have magic as your defences, getting shot will always hurt. It's just in the nature of small bits of red-hot metal travelling at hundreds of miles per hour, to hurt. As they travelled, Joe made a point of having a conversation with Jack. It had worked well enough for getting to know Tom and Autumn, after all.

"Say, Jack…" Joe suddenly realised he hadn't thought of a topic for the conversation.

"Yep! That's me!" Jack said, standing on the roof in the very centre of the mech, hands on hips in a somewhat dramatic pose.

"Do you have any hobbies?" Joe settled on a fairly open question.

Jack sat down, and looked to the sky. "Yeah… I don't know if my usual pastime counts as a hobby."

"Go on."

"Well, I just like to run all over the place. According to Joe, Older Joe of course, it's called parkour. I can use my teleporting power to get to places that should be really hard to reach. Plus I can sort of climb walls and trees and other stuff, Even if I can't do it fast enough for it to be useful in combat. One time, I actually found something really awesome." He was smiling, though Joe could have sworn there was a tiny tear in the corner of Jack's eye.

"What was it? It must have been something amazing…" said Joe.

"Well, the first time I saw it, I didn't think anything of it. It was only later I realised what it was. See, it _looked_ like an ordinary bit of graffiti, just someone having taken a permanent marker and scribbled on a wall. So I didn't think anything of it. But then one day, I learned that it was actually someone's signature. The used a nickname instead of their real one. I found my mum's signature written on some random old chimney, along with the note 'Best view in town here!' when I realised, I kept revisiting that place over and over, for ages. It felt like some kind of fated encounter. It's pretty sad that I can't actually see the view from there, since the land has changed. Hey, maybe I should make that my goal. To restore the view from the top of that old house. How does that sound?" Jack was actually crying a little at the memory, to Joe's surprise.

"That sounds really good… are you alright? Are you hurt?" Joe asked.

"No… just a bit caught up…" Jack burst into tears. "I really just don't want her to be dead. I hate thinking about it."

Tom looked over at Jack. "Woah, there, it's okay, it'll be okay, don't be sad. Come here." He shuffled over and tentatively hugged him. "We'll find out what happened to everyone. I'm sure we'll find her alive and well. She was way too tough to die and leave you alone."

Jack slowly stopped crying. "Th-thanks."

* * *

They didn't stop for lunch on the second day, opting to eat while moving. Cathori was driving along, water in one hand and steering wheel in the other, as she went over a particularly nasty bump in the terrain and spilled the water down her shirt. "Whose idea was this?!" she shouted.

"Yours!" replied Joe, leaning down to be next to the window of the cockpit.

"Well next time we're definitely stopping for lunch! Don't let me make this kind of decision in the future!" Cathori shouted, trying to rub the water off her leg.

"It's okay to stop if you need to dry off!" Joe said.

Autumn regarded the conversation with a raised eyebrow, sitting next to Jack and Tom. "Tom. I have a question."

"Yeah?" Tom said, eating the last strip of the dried meat.

"You, Joe and Cathori have all seen the black lizard on multiple occasions, yes?" she asked, with a somewhat accusing tone.

"Erm… yes." Tom was a bit worried over the fact Autumn was talking with all the warmth of a glacier again.

"Well, if it's sentient, and it was telling that it has accidentally finding our party over and over... then why is that happening? The chances of finding the same thing twice without actively searching for it are so low, that they're effectively zero. Three times? There must be something drawing it to us, or vice-versa. Do you have any theories?" she said.

"Not at the moment, but let's see what I can work out by thinking about it. What do we have in common, since that seems to help us find things, if we have strong links to them." Tom mused.

"Constant assault from the enemy… Not much else. Maybe upbringing. A lot of species of reptile abandon their young. I doubt very much that it's ever met its parents." Autumn answered.

"Or it could be magic… Joe's the only one here with any kind of real knowledge of magic that isn't for healing, but I think that some kinds of magical things can be naturally drawn to other magical things. So, maybe it's drawn to Joe? Or me?" Tom said.

"Plausible, but we need some kind of evidence to confirm it. If we find it again, we'll have to try and have a longer conversation. Do you know any methods for keeping it calm?" Autumn said.

"Nope. But I guess we could try and bait it over with some food or something. Do we have any more of that beef jerky?" Tom looked in his pack "We do! Hopefully three strips will be enough to keep it in one place long enough to talk to it."

* * *

They stopped for the night in a rocky clearing. Huge natural walls several metres high surrounded the area, with a path running through. A raging wind started up a few hours after everyone had settled for the night, and Cathori moved the Firebird to act as a windblock. They managed to start a campfire of sorts, and were sharing their dinner over it; pasta. Just pasta. There wasn't even any salt or something to put on it. Joe had approved Tom's plan to bait the lizard over with the leftover jerky, but it hadn't shown up yet. Cathori ate another spoonful of the extremely boring pasta. Joe looked around. "Guys… Do we have any spare blankets? I think it'll be cold tonight." He asked.

"I think there's one more in the Firebird's storage. And I could sleep inside it, you know, inside the machine, so that could count as another extra." Cathori offered.

The wind roared. A particularly cold gust went through the camp, threatening to extinguish the fire. Out of the sky, the somewhat expected visitor dropped onto the Firebird's roof with a thump. Tom snapped to attention. The lizard was trying to avoid getting blown off the roof, and ended up crawling down the side facing the camp, trying to avoid getting noticed. "Hey" Tom softly called. "Come over here. We've got food."

The lizard froze like a deer caught in the headlights. Tom held out the jerky. "What... Okay…" It shuffled over.

"Well, that wasn't so bad. I was worried you would take ages to come over here. It's still pretty cold even without the wind. Is it okay if me and the others talk to you for a bit?" Tom said.

"…" The lizard sniffed at the jerky "Yes… I do not think I can leave here while the winds are so strong. I will… be here." It snapped the jerky into its mouth.

Joe took his turn to talk "So then… are you alright? It sounded quite painful, the way you landed on the roof of our vehicle."

"Yes. I did not fall far. However, it was… not good… in the air. Too cold." It shuffled up to the fire.

"We've got a spare blanket, if you want one. Cathori, would you mind getting it?" Joe offered.

"What is… a blanket?" The lizard tilted its head.

"It's one of these." Joe lifted the corner of his own blanket. "We use them to keep the cold off ourselves."

"Okay. I… have a… quest-chan? Is… that the correct… way to say it?" It said.

"Almost. It's pronounced question. What do you want to know?" Joe said, as Cathori returned with the blanket.

"What do you know… about the… things. You said they were not like you. I have seen that now." It tensed as Cathori draped the blanket over it, but relaxed after a few moments.

"The bodies? Well, that's a pretty long story. How about I start from the beginning? Maybe that'll answer some other questions you have." Joe leaned forwards a little, and put on his best storytelling voice. "Nineteen years ago, this entire dimension was completely empty. Nothing lived here. However, for a reason that nobody knows, people started to appear here, after leaving other worlds through many different ways. Most of the people who appeared were humans, like us. But there were some other races, like the Protoss, or the Dwarves. I don't really know too much about them, since I was born just before a terrible event we call The Shattering. But before I talk about that, there's something else I need to talk about. Most of the people who appeared here were the same as their normal selves, back in whichever reality they originally lived in. But some of us were changed. Those who changed were known as 'Heroes', and they became much stronger and harder to kill, and it's been said they were even immortal. They were from many different races, In fact almost every race had at least one hero, but there was one thing they all had in common. They were all invited to leave their worlds, unlike everyone else. They were given the choice of coming here. For four years, everything was peaceful. However, one day, the area where almost everyone lived was attacked, by the first known incident of those things. The heroes fought successfully to defend the area, and left to go and find out where they came from, and to stop them. But then they disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to them, but only a few days later, The Shattering occurred. A huge bolt of lightning struck the centre of our homes, and it was split into hundreds of individual places. Almost all of them are still missing. Those of us who survived had to live in almost isolation. But, there were still traces of the heroes in this place. Before they left, some of them had started families. The children were so young at the time the things first attacked, that the heroes left them at the city, where they thought they would be safe. But now, they've grown up. They might be able to find the missing heroes. They might be able to stop the things, and their constant attacks. They might be able to do a lot of things. At least, I hope we can. I'm Joseph Raynor, son of Heroes. And these are my friends, Thomas, Cathori, Autumn, and Jack junior." He finished.

The lizard blinked. "That is… a lot of… solved questions."

Jack smiled "Great! Hey though… could you tell us about yourself? We don't know anything about you."

The lizard looked around "I… will. I may need some time to know… how to say things." It stared into the fire. "I hatched… after your shattering. I have not known any world different to this. When I was very small… I remember… other… people. The first thing I know is that they tried to kill me. I am… not sure why. I think I am… different. I hid where they lived while I was still small. I learned how to talk. I remember seeing some other… people. They were like me, but green. They were loved by those who hated me. I left once I was strong enough. I do not have a purpose. I live to… be alive. I only remember a few tiny things that hint at whether there is anything more to know, for me. I remember the first words I ever heard. Do you want to hear them?"

Cathori looked at it warmly "Of course. What were they?"

The lizard closed its eyes, and spoke in a higher tone, as if trying to imitate someone "What is this!? This can't be Brightwing's! It can't be true!"

Tom looked at it in shock. "Did you say 'Brightwing'? I know that name…"

Joe looked at Tom "Really? But from where?"

"If I remember correctly, she's on the church's medical records as a healer. Um… I think she was classed as a non-humanoid. The records are a bit vague. And that still leaves your colouring a mystery, if she was some kind of lizard, since I've never seen any other reptile with your particular shade of black."

Cathori was looking at the Lizard with a sad face that might lead to hugging and tears. "Guys, don't ignore that the literal first thing they ever heard was basically someone recoiling in horror. Maybe we should try to, uh, comfort them. And we should really give them a name, just… what?" She shuffled over and placed a hand on top of the Lizard's head.

Joe looked at the Lizard "Wait, I think I know what your other half might be." He said "Have any of you ever heard of a race called the Zerg? A lot of their features overlap with yours… can you… do anything that changes your body?" Joe asked.

The Lizard opened its mouth and ran its tongue over one of it's two larger fangs at the front of it's mouth. "I… grew these. They looked… useful."

Joe nodded "Yep, I think you're half Zerg. And a descendant of heroes. Wow. I guess that explains why we were drawn to each other."

Autumn had been watching. "Zerg naming generally uses many vowels, separated by single consonants. Do you have a name in mind?"

The lizard distractedly scratched the floor. "No… Can you… pick one…?"

Joe looked down. It always helped him to focus. So, they were a half-zerg, a hero, and zerg names used lots of vowels… A, E, I, O, U… Not a lot to work with.

"Wait" Joe said "Are you a boy or a girl? I can't tell."

"I think… boy. I'm not sure how it works." He replied.

And the name should reflect the personality. But he didn't really have enough to define the personality. What if he named them for one of thier distinct features? No, Zerg were susceptible to change… Change? What if he rearranged that, took the spare consonant off… Cegan? No, that just sounded silly…

"What about… Kaladi?" Cathori said, pulling the name out of nowhere.

Tom nodded "I think that fits. How do you like it?" he asked.

"I… would like that name. Yes." Kaladi responded.

"Yaay, congratulations on getting a name!" Jack clapped lightly. "And you're like us, a heroic child! So… Joe, I think you're the one who's good at talking."

Joe looked at Kaladi "Would you like to join our group? It should make surviving easier, and we're on a quest to find out what happened to the heroes, so that means we might find your parents, too. What do you think?"

Kaladi nodded "Yes… I will join you…" He shifted under the blanket. "How do I… Stay warm…? It is not working." The blanket was held in the air by his wings and the spines on his back.

Cathori sat next to him. "Here, I-I can help. You need to try and cover more of your body, so, um…" She carefully lifted the blanket "Try folding your wings down and, oh, do you actually generate your own body heat? I'm sure I read somewhere that reptiles can't…" She wrapped the blanket around Kaladi, letting only his head poke out. "T-there. And the fire should warm you up enough for the night, but, ah, wake me up if you need help."

Joe smiled "Well… we should all sleep, but has anyone got any good stories? I think we should all get to know each other a bit better."

Autumn scooted forwards, under her blanket. "Let me tell you about the time that Lewis tried to cook dinner…" She smiled as if she'd heralded the end of the world.

* * *

The following morning, Joe was pleased to find that Kaladi was still present, and began to pack away what he could while he waited for the rest of the party to wake up. He was just folding his blanket neatly when Jack stirred and sat up.

"Ohhh, that was one good dream!" Jack yawned, throwing off his blanket.

"What about?" asked Joe, picking up said blanket and folding that as well.

"Can't remember. But it was good. What's for breakfast?"

"Jerky. I swear this stuff is in every other place we stop. I'm starting to get tired of it."

The others slowly woke over the following hour, Kaladi instantly waking when touched, and panicking for a second until he realised it was just the blanket stopping him from moving. Joe took care of packing, while Tom rationed out breakfast. They moved off the second they were ready.

While travelling, Joe realised he hadn't asked one important question to Kaladi. "Hey, since you're a child of heroes… can you fight, or do you have any other special powers?"

Kaladi was gripping the exhaust vent of the Firebird with his claws "I can… fight. I can… spit acid, or other… things. Also, I can heal or hurt those near me, if I wish. And if I try… I can travel a short way in… very little time. Very, very little time. Look." He tensed, and jumped off the Firebird, before teleporting back to Joe.

"That's amazing." Said Joe. And he meant it.

* * *

It was 6:10 PM, on the fifth day. The firebird came across the largest, nastiest group of the bodies they'd ever seen, all sieging one large stone house. It took Joe under a second to realise somebody must be inside.

"Everyone! We've got to get in there and save whoever's in that house! We're going to have to work defensively, so stay together!" He called, bringing his rifle up and shooting at a few of the outlying bodies.

Everyone jumped off as the Firebird assumed its battle form. Tom and Jack readied their fists, Cathori pointed a flamethrower forwards, Autumn drew her pistol, and Kaladi hissed. Joe thrust a fist into the air and shouted "Heroes… Forwards!"

The war cry the five produced was tremendous, and they slowly but unstoppably moved into the crowd of raging enemies. Cathori devastated their ranks with her mortar and flamethrowers while Jack walked forwards with utter determination, any foe unlucky enough to be caught in his path was punched out of the way, and Jack didn't ever slow down. Joe was using his fire rounds to wear away at the foes that were upcoming, and Tom was switching between blowing away entire swathes of enemies with his anti-field and making sure the Firebird kept running. Joe glanced around between shots. Where was Kaladi? Not at the front, of course, but surely he couldn't spit acid that far…

Suddenly, a body made of silver thrust a lance at Joe's head. Joe didn't have any time to do more than turn to face it, and he prepared for a sudden end… And Kaladi dived from the air onto the lance, knocking it away so it only cut Joe on the side of the head. "You… are hurt. Let me…" He growled, before generating a green field around him. Joe was a bit surprised, but before he could question it, he felt his cut knit together, while the disarmed silver body suddenly clasped a hand over its face, and fell over, breaking apart. Kaladi looked at the silver nuggets. "Good. It… hurts metal." He jumped back into the air with a flap of his wings. Joe refocused and went back to attacking.

The battle was proceeding well, and Joe was nearing the house. The crowd of bodies swarming the area had been greatly reduced, but the group was growing tired. Mana was running low for everyone, and they knew that they couldn't clear out all the enemies.

A single voice rang out over the battlefield. "YAAAAAH!"

A window on the upstairs of the house shattered, and a heavily built and muscled man with _… Black and white_ hair threw themselves out holding a single, giant sword that looked like someone had just grabbed an equally giant chunk of iron ore and beaten it into a blade with pure anger. It was barely even a sword, more of a double-edged club. And it must have weighed an incredible amount. The unluckiest of all bodies, a hapless stone being, was simply cleaved in half by the impact of the blade, and he swung it around, holding it near his waist, before charging at the body nearest the group. He hit like a freight train, and Joe felt his hair blow back at the force of the impact. The newcomer almost instantly raised the weapon over his head and slashed it into two parts, before shouting to the group "Sorry for the delay! Sung Stormstout, at your service!" He raised the blade, blocking a few incoming attacks, and turned back to the fight.

"Joseph Raynor, at yours! Let's wipe these things out!" Joe cheered, and the rest of the party fought with renewed might.

Sung easily turned the tide. It was under a minute before the battle concluded, and it was a decisive victory. Joe looked around, checking the enemy was vanquished, before speaking to Sung. "You fight like one awesome warrior. That was impressive, to say the least. Is it alright if we stay the night? I have a lot of things to talk about."

Sung rested the tip of his blade on the ground, placing both his hands on the hilt. "Of course! You fought for a valiant cause. You are welcome within the Stormstout house. Follow me, we can talk inside." He loudly offered. He was like a walking megaphone. Joe got a better look at his armour at this point, or lack thereof. Sung was bare-chested, and despite thickly armoured legs, and heavy gauntlets, Joe couldn't imagine that Sung's chest and stomach were very well protected by the tattoos they were decorated in. Yet he could've sworn Sung took a blow to the gut during the fight earlier, and there was nothing worse than a scrape where he'd been slashed with a sword. The warrior unlocked his house's huge stone doors with a solid iron key, leading the group into a spacious living room with three slightly worn sofas surrounding a crackling fireplace. It felt very welcoming. "You may sit, allies!" Sung announced.

* * *

Everyone collapsed into the sofas. Joe was the one to speak, while everyone else took a deep breath. "Okay… My name is Joe. Joseph Raynor, in full. These are my friends, if you guys want to introduce yourselves."

"Thomas Morales, healer and inventor."

"Cathori Findlay, uh, master mechanic."

"Jack junior Oxton, boxer."

"Kaladi… Should I… have another word?"

"Kaladi, survival expert. And I'm Autumn, tactical aide."

Sung nodded. "Excellent titles, and you live up to them in combat! I am Sung Stormstout, Man at arms, and brewmaster in training! Allow me to fetch my master, and something to eat as we discuss my joining you."

Joe raised an eyebrow "How does he know I want him to join us?" He said to nobody in particular.

"Maybe he knows our last names" said Tom, slumped over on the sofa.

 **Author's notes: Wow, my chapters keep getting longer. Sorry for the slower updates, but I hope this was worth the wait.**

 **Lucario: Why, thank you for the compliment, and you may now unleash your scream.**

 **TinhLine: Earplugs are on sale in aisle 9 of your local hardware store, you can thank me after every window in the world gets shattered. Cool parents are cool.**

Kaladi's moveset (Support, 13)

Slightly more HP than Brightwing

Q: Acid flare, after a short delay apply a light damage over time effect to enemies in an area. While this effect is active, the targets receive 20% reduced healing. Short cooldown.

W: Bio swarm, for 2.5 seconds, generate a swarm around Kaladi that heals allies for X per second and damages enemies for X per second. During this time, Kaladi does not collide with enemies. Medium cooldown.

E: Stopper Dust, cast on an ally to grant 25% ability damage resistance for X seconds, or on an enemy to inflict a 20% ability power reduction for X seconds. Cannot be self-cast without talents. Medium cooldown.

R1: Energy blink, Warp to a nearby ally, if they are friendly also restoring X mana and granting 10% ability power for X seconds. Holds 2 charges. Short charge cooldown.

R2: Venom fang, Apply a long-lasting damage over time effect to a nearby enemy, slowing them by X% and slowing the rate their abilities recharge by 50%. Long cooldown.

D: Essence amplification, nearby enemy minions drop 2 stacks of essence when they die, and heroes drop 10 stacks. Activate to consume all stacks and grant your next ability 2% ability power for every stack consumed. Maximum 25 stacks.

Z: Hidden warp, after a short channel, warp to any area on the map that enemies cannot be seen in.

Important talents: Movespeed on W (So that Energy blink isn't mandatory). Self casting for E.

Playstyle: A support that excels at debuffing enemies to protect his allies. Can build into heavily damaging debuffs at the expense of much of their healing potential, or gaining the ability to give a wide variety of buffs to his allies.

Sung's moveset (Warrior, 16)

Moderate HP for a warrior.

Q: Heavy charge, gain resistant for X seconds and charge towards a target, if they are an enemy unit also dealing X damage, briefly stunning them and knocking nearby enemies away. Long cooldown.

W: Crushing strike, Deal X damage and slow the target by X%. Tiny cooldown.

E: Flame guard, Gain 3 charges of block and 2 charges of spell block, and reduce basic attack speed by X% until they are depleted. Long cooldown.

R1: Endurance, Activate to prevent HP from dropping below 1 for a short time, and gain resistant. Long ult cooldown.

R2: Arena crater, Create a ring of impassable terrain around Sung, knocking enemies within into the air and dealing X damage. Long ult cooldown.

D: Bravery, Basic attacks grant one stack of bravery, up to a maximum of ten. Activate to consume all stacks and gain a shield of X points per stack.

Important talents: at level 1, can choose between Brew, Fury, and traditional Mana for his attack costs. Brew can be refilled at any time with a short channel that does not grant shields, but does not hold enough in a round for more than a few abilities. Fury is generated alongside bravery, but will not increase movement speed after casting abilities. Mana has a large cap, so a lot of abilities can be cast before running out, but will not be as easy to refill.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Seer of Ground

Joe could hear someone descending a flight of stairs a few metres away. It was a tapping sound of wood against stone with a regular pace, growing closer. Sung opened the door to the living room, and announced "Now, please welcome Master Huang Long, Expert brewer, Student of fighting, and recipient of the gift of second sight!"

A blindfolded pandaren walked into the room, tapping at the floor with a medium sized staff. He held up one hand and grinned. "Greetings, heroes. Sung, you may take a seat. I can see that we'll be here for at least an hour!"

He seemed to be fairly aged, and his clothes were relatively simple robes with a few clay bottles tied to his waist. His staff seemed to simply be a branch from a tree, sanded down and wrapped with a scrap of cloth for grip, but Joe knew better than to just assume it was a stick wrapped in cloth. It could be magical, it could conceal a blade… It could just be good for whacking things. Joe sat up straight "Greetings. My name is-" He began.

"Joseph Raynor, son of Jaina Proodmoore and James Raynor. I've been expecting you for quite a while, you know!" Master Long replied jovially.

"Yes, you're correct. How… did you know that?" Joe asked.

"Well, I have quite a few things you need to know. But to answer your first question, I'm a seer. I see things. And your little group is something I've seen quite a lot! I've known you would arrive here for almost ten years, it was just a matter of how." The old panda smiled. "Oh, Sung, fetch them something to drink, you know what I'll be saying next."

"Yes master" Sung bowed, and left the room.

Autumn raised her hand, and Huang Long nodded to her, despite his blindfold. "Sir, what do you mean how? Surely if you saw us arriving, you would know how we arrived?"

The panda grinned smugly "Hm, You're a smart one, but now is the time I explain how my sight works. Firstly…" He unwrapped his blindfold, revealing two perfectly undamaged eyes. "Being a seer requires you can't see the present. But you don't have to lose your sight, merely keep your vision clear. It makes what we see much more obvious. So, I see visions of important events all the time. However, I can only see visions of fixed events that absolutely will come to pass in this timeline. The circumstances around those events can easily be changed, to give the event a greatly different meaning. But the event will come to pass, if I have seen it. For example, when Sung comes in here, Your friend Cathori will dislike the drink he serves her."

"Wait, what?" Cathori said.

"But how much she dislikes it, and why, are completely unknown. For example, only Joe, Cathori and Autumn were guaranteed to be at this meeting. She could have been given something to drink while mourning the loss of a friend, and could have hated the drink since she wanted to be alone. Or, it could just be the case that Sung puts a little too much ginger into his drinks. That's why it's quite easy to be nervous about what I see." The old panda finished.

Sung entered the room, holding a stack of plastic cups and a large jug of something. "Sweet and spicy ginger brew, guaranteed to give you all some extra vitality. Here you go, warriors!" He set the cups on the table and began quickly pouring drinks, which he passed around. Cathori accepted her cup, and cautiously sniffed it before taking a sip.

"Nice and sweet, as promised, the ginger gives it some spice too, but it's not overbearing, and the main body of the drink has a nice flavour, kind of citrus… ooh… This aftertaste though…" Cathori grimaced "You win. Prophecy fulfilled. This, uh not to upset you Sung, I can't stand this bitter aftertaste."

Sung nodded "It was inevitable. I've yet to see one of my master's predictions fail!" He turned to Huang Long "Master, is now the time for my prophecy to be revealed?"

"Sung, this is the time. I can see you with your greatest certainty shattered, in order to protect your greatest care." Said Huang.

Sung bowed, and said gravely "I accept this. Do you have a prophecy for anyone else?"

Huang pointed his staff at Joseph. "Joe. No matter the path you take, all ten of you will be present when the final challenge is revealed." He sighed.

Joe frowned "You mean… We're guaranteed to make it to the end? But there are so many things that could go wrong…"

Huang shook his head. "You will only be present at the end. Dead or alive, hurt or healthy, united or divided. The price of success could be anything, so much so that you may not even consider it a success in the end. Now, it's time to lighten up with a meal. I think it's time we used up that bread, Sung."

The dinner was amazing. The Stormstout house had a large number of cheeses in the basement, and Huang had brought out one of the milder, universally enjoyable variations. Alongside some bread baked in an old style, probably in an alliance castle, and some canned meats manufactured by the Terran dominion, they group enjoyed the most well-rounded meal they'd had in a long time. Sung controlled who brew went to on the basis on height and constitution, to the interest of Tom.

"I thought it was common practice that people couldn't have any of your family's brew until adulthood?" he asked.

"Yes, but that's honestly to stop people from having too much for their body or mind to handle, especially for non-pandaren who have very low tolerance for our creations, for some reason. As long as I regulate it, then it'll be fine." Sung explained.

The meal lasted almost half an hour, a novel concept for Joe. He wasn't used to meals taking more than ten minutes. The entire party was quite tired, and ready to sleep. Huang guided them to the guest bedrooms. "Now, sleep well. You'll be travelling again tomorrow."

Everyone collapsed into bed.

* * *

The following morning, Joe wasn't the first one awake for once. He sat up, looking over the rest of the room and seeing only Tom and Autumn, in opposite corners. He quietly got up, slipping his trusty coat on as he exited the room. He went to the living room, where Sung and Jack were arm wrestling.

"Morning, I'm not too late for breakfast am I?" Joe asked, as the two others sweated and put the table under some terrible pressure.

"Nah." Said Jack, tight-lipped. This was his undoing, as Sung put on a burst of strength and pushed his hand to the table.

"You're right on time. Master Long has offered to cook for us, although I'm not sure what he will prepare. We'll be departing after breakfast, but I believe that's normal for you?" Sung seemed to be using his inside voice, which faded from hearing after passing through only two walls, rather than the usual ten.

"It sounds good to me. I'm just going to try and find everyone else, and make sure they're ready to go." Joe said. He checked around the kitchen, which was in the other side of the house, but it only had Huang inside. Upstairs, above the kitchen was some king of storage room filled with towering stacks of books, a few laundry baskets full of weapons, and a few wardrobes that might have contained more miscellaneous objects.

Cathori was sitting at a desk, drawing something. Joe walked up behind her, and saw Kaladi lying as still as possible on another table in front of Cathori. "Hey. Breakfast will be ready soon. What are you two doing?"

Cathori continued to draw, shading in the picture. "I'm, well, making an anatomically correct diagram of Kaladi."

"She said… she'd give me some food if I stayed still for a while." Kaladi said quietly, trying not to open their mouth.

Cathori looked at Kaladi again, and went back to her picture. "It's for Tom, to be honest. If Kaladi gets hurt, then Tom's going to need to know how to heal him. I'm trying to deduce his bone structure…"

Joe looked closely, seeing three completed drawings of Kaladi's top, side, and underneath. "Wait, how did you manage to draw underneath him?" Joe asked, looking at the large lizard.

"Well, basically, there's this chandelier in one of the bedrooms, it's not too fancy or anything, but I had him land on that, and then I filled in the gaps in my drawing by just looking at his feet. I never realised how many muscles his legs had, to be honest." Cathori set down her pencil "Okay, I think I'm done. You can move now!"

Kaladi jumped off the desk, and landed by the window. "That is good... Let us have food. I shall follow you, Joe."

Joe smiled "Okay then. Come on, I don't want to keep everyone waiting."

The breakfast Huang had cooked had used the last of the bread and the opened cheese: Toasties. Joe enjoyed the hot meal thoroughly, while Sung and Jack had a contest to eat their meals fastest and subsequently burned their tongues on the first bite. Tom, looked at this, and blew on his for a while until it cooled. Autumn gently nibbled at the corner, careful not to drop any crumbs on the furniture, and Cathori produced a craft knife from one of her pockets and neatly cut the sandwich in half. Kaladi had no idea how he was meant to pick it up and eat like the others, so he opted to just eat in his normal fashion of simply indiscriminately eating entire chunks of whatever was available. He finished first, a blob of melted cheese stuck to his forehead. He licked it off himself quickly, showing Cathori his green tongue.

"So, Master Huang, is there anything else you've seen that will be useful to us?" Tom said in between bites.

"Yes. Just the one thing, though. Next, you'll be recruiting a child who's a far greater seer than I. They have the power to use both second and first sight at the same time. I advise you to be quick reaching them, though. They've grown up with no idea how to use their abilities." Huang said.

"Are they in any danger? I mean, I was almost too late getting to Autumn, her family nearly died." Joe said.

Huang was quiet for a moment "That depends. The seer is only going to be in danger if their parent makes a mistake."

"Right. Well, we ought to go. Everyone, we haven't left anything in the rooms, have we?"

There was a chorus of 'no's.

* * *

They departed quickly, by Joe's command. "Even if their safety isn't under our control, maybe if we move quickly we can get there in time to avert larger dangers." Was the reason he gave as the Firebird rolled off.

They were travelling as quickly as possible, driven by the urgency of reaching the seer in time. Still, Joe made sure he took some time to talk with Sung. And this time, he actually thought of a question before he went to talk to him. "Sung, I have a question?"

"I would be happy to answer. What is it?" Sung replied, sitting next to Joe.

"How did you take so little damage yesterday? I'm sure you got stabbed, but there was nothing worse than a scrape." Joe said.

Sung laughed, and Joe was sure the earth was somewhat shaken by the sound. "It's quite simple. I have Iron Skin, a special power passed on from my mother. It is just as the name suggests; My skin will never break to something silly like a sword."

"Wow, that sounds really useful. I guess if your skin is as tough as most metals, then there isn't much sense in putting armour on." Said Joe.

"Not quite! The armour on my legs and arms still protects me greatly, since my skin isn't indestructible, and being able to block my foe's attacks offers me great survivability in combat." Sung said.

Joe looked over the current area, a savannah of some kind. The trees had leaves in a startling red colour, but not much else was noteworthy. "Well, I look forwards to fighting with you. You were really something yesterday."

The group opted to stop for lunch, or rather Joe insisted Cathori take a break. She was happy enough to take a walk. The area they stopped was a coastal field, with a Terran battlecruiser crashed into the middle of the field. Autumn and Tom were raiding it, while everyone else relaxed for a moment. Joe looked at the huge ship, it's exterior rusted, hiding its original owners. Kaladi flew up to Joe.

"Hello, Kaladi! Is everything okay?" Joe said.

"Yes… I… did not know there… could be food in this. Only metal." The half-zerg replied.

"Yeah, I guess it's kind of hard to tell by looking at it. I've heard my father used to command a lot of these ships… Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories." Joe was mentally slapping himself.

"Do not… worry. I have never seen my father. I know nothing about my family beyond what you have deduced… But… I… like having a family." Kaladi said.

"Wait, you've got one now? That's great, who is it- oh!" Joe turned a little red.

"I think… Our group… is a family. We are all… alike. And… I am enjoying… having a family." Kaladi said.

"I... I'm really happy you feel that way. You deserve some time you can enjoy." Joe said.

Tom burst out of the ship with an armful of huge cans. "Jackpot!" he shouted to the rest of the group. He ran up to the middle of all the heroic children, dumped the cans on the floor and called "Come over here, look at what Autumn found!"

Autumn spoke next to Sung, to the surprise of everyone "Well, you did the hard work. Now, look at the contents of these… We have four catering-size tins of tuna, and twenty people's worth of military grade energy bars. These will all stay fresh for at least a few years. Now I hope you like tuna, because it's very healthy."

Cathori looked confused "What… What is tuna, if, um, you don't mind me asking?"

Jack looked at her incredulously "You've never had tuna, and you've never seen power rangers. Next thing you'll be telling me you've never tried tea!"

Cathori looked at Jack like he'd told her she was going to die "Tea… Like… what some people call dinner?"

"No, the drink! Right, from now on I'm going to have to make sure you get to try everything. Starting with tuna." Jack said with his arms crossed.

Autumn grabbed the ring pull of the can, and broke the seal, draining it. "Okay, get a fork and we'll give Cathori some tuna first. And Cathori, tuna is a kind of fish that can be found in a few variations across most of our universes. It's often cited as having a very good flavour, and it's common to mix it with many kinds of sauce to create different meals."

Cathori pulled a plastic spork out of a pocket on her knee, and cautiously approached the can. "Well, okay… It doesn't smell too bad for fish…" She cautiously stabbed her spork into the can, and had a bit of the tuna. It was like flipping a switch.

Cathori's face lit up. "Oh, wow. This stuff tastes incredible. And we've got like, enough for days here. Everyone, you've got to try this. I could eat this for weeks."

Jack jumped and clapped a bit "Yeah, she likes it! Okay, let's divide it up for lunch. I think there are two portions each in there."

Joe sat next to Tom during the lunch. They were using some metal plates found in the ship to hold their meals. Joe sighed "Hey… Tom?"

Tom looked at Joe and swallowed "Yes? Are you alright, you don't sound too good."

"Well, I'm okay, but I worry that I don't spend enough time talking to each of you. I want us all to be friends, what if I'm focusing too much on my goal?" Joe whispered.

A warming smile found its way onto Tom's face. "Joe, you have literally put every last second of your spare time into being a mediator and friend to every single member of this group. Look at Cathori and Autumn." He pointed to the two, sharing lunch together. "They started with barely a grain of trust between them, but you made sure they never fought, and you did everything you could to make them friends. And now look, they feel safe around each other and there's no bad blood either. And you've done that for all of us. But, if you ever get overwhelmed, then I'll always be here for you."

Joe looked at Tom, doubts gone from his eyes. "Thanks. I think I needed that."

* * *

Travel continued as normal. At one point, Joe looked for Kaladi in the environments they passed through, but then realised that he didn't need to now that Kaladi had actually joined them. The day passed quickly enough, as did the next. It was on the fourth day that they came across their destination. It was a little after lunch, and the weather was windy and grey. A small cottage was in front of the group, with a thatched roof and whitewashed walls. It was picturesque, and the garden full of primroses in front only added to the charm. If only the weather had been a little better, then Joe would have stopped to admire the place before knocking on the door.

"Everybody, this is it! Stop the Firebird, and make sure you put away your weapons!" Joe called.

Cathori braked carefully, and the group climbed off. Sung clipped his club to his leg, Autumn holstered her pistol inside her laptop, and Joe moved his rifle to his back. They walked up to the door, and Joe reached out an arm to knock. The door was opened just a second before he could, by a very old lady with a worn handbag. Joe tried to speak "Oh, hello, my name is Joe Raynor, and I'm looking for someone-"

The old lady looked to the side "Sandy! Yer prophecy came true!" She looked back to the group "Come on in. We've been expecting you for quite a while, young un's."

Inside was a little small, but the building was only ever meant to house three people. The group assembled in the dining room, while the little old lady talked to them. "Ooh, you're the boy who leads everyone! Sandy's been seeing vision of you for years, and here's lady Autumn, the stealthy, and… You know, I've got some nice ginger biscuits. Just a minute, I'll go fetch 'em." She left the room just as Sandy entered.

Sandy was apparently an Orc, but oddly enough she had blond hair and slightly less pronounced fangs. She had a flowing skirt of two long pieces of brown cloth, and some light wooden armour protecting her stomach and chest. Her arms were protected by the same kind of cloth, and the sleeves had some simple runes dyed onto them. Most of her head was covered by a hood of the cloth, so only a lock of her hair was visible. She walked slowly into the room, looking down, then threw back her hood, revealing neatly braided rows of hair and more interestingly, some small horns. "Greetings, everyone. You all know my name, and I know yours, but for formality's sake… My name is Sandy Earthfury. I know it'll be good to meet you." She spoke softly and clearly.

Joe stepped forwards, and his handshake was returned instantly by Sandy "Joseph Raynor, pleased to see you're well."

"Yes. Grandmother will return in twenty three seconds with the biscuits, so would you all like to sit?" Sandy offered.

"Wow, twenty three exactly?" Tom said, taking a seat.

"Yes. I can clearly see it. Also, Kaladi, there is an area you can land on top of that cupboard. You were always destined to come here, so I have prepared as required." Sandy gestured to a large cabinet full of small totems.

"Thank you." Kaladi said, perching on top of the cabinet.

Right on cue, Sandy's grandmother returned to the room with a large jar. "Just baked yesterday for you!" She said, setting it down in the centre of the table. "You kids get along, now."

Everyone took a biscuit, and Joe passed one up to Kaladi. Sung looked at Sandy, impressed. "Your foresight is of almost unbelievable strength. Even my master could not predict events down to the second!"

"Thank you. Now, I believe we are to talk about your quest to save our parents. Autumn, please start the conversation." Sandy said, serene.

"I... Well, that's quite impressive, I mean… You knew I was planning to start the conversation…" Autumn was uncharacteristically lost for words.

Sandy smiled "Don't worry, I could see that in a lot of futures your doubts would stop you trusting me. So I thought I should deal with them for you. You can still start the conversation, if you want."

Autumn took a second to compose herself "Right, in case your visions didn't cover anything, we're all descended from the heroes of old, just like you. Joe has brought us together in search of our parents, and we wish to invite you to our group. Also, we will assist you in any way necessary while you are at your home, so you can guarantee that your guardians will be safe when you return."

Sandy looked at the group. "Just as I predicted. Well, it's inevitable that I join you, but I'd like you to help me with something."

"What is it? I'll do my best, at least I hope I will." Jack looked a little worried.

Sandy nodded "I haven't seen how hard you try, but I need a little help with the reparations of the roof. One of the support beams has cracked, and I've seen a large rock bumping into the roof, so I want the beam repaired before that happens. Come follow me. And don't be too surprised." Sandy stood up and turned to leave the room, revealing she had a bronze dragon's tail.

Cathori nearly fell over, but caught herself in time. "Well. I didn't expect the surprise this, um, soon, you know. Wait, you actually did know… I guess it must have been one of those fixed points, right?"

"Yes. I'm still learning how to hide my other side. It's… difficult." Sandy said, as she left the room.

"You don't need to worry, I think it's pretty cool actually. Why would you hide it, anyway?" Tom said, at which Sandy smiled and replaced her hood.

"Well, have you seen my skin colour? It clashes horribly with the bronze." She said.

* * *

The wooden beam in question was in the kitchen, and was held up by a pile of books. It was cracked and splintered dangerously, and Joe suspected that if the books were knocked away the house would come with them. Cathori looked at the beam, hand under her chin.

"Hmm. I think this can be fixed simply enough. Do you have any scrap metal, Sandy?" Said Cathori.

Sandy reached behind a cupboard and pulled out a sheet of what was apparently steel. "Will this do?"

Cathori looked over the metal. "Let's see… A little thin, but there's enough to double wrap…" She tapped it with her hand "Nice and strong, and probably rust resistant… Yep, I can fix the beam with this!"

Jack stepped forwards "And I'm going to help you! I said I'd try my best, so what can I do?"

Cathori held the sheet up to the beam. "Fetch me my saw, blowtorch and drill, they're in the storage compartment of the Firebird." She took out a tape measure and began measuring the beam and then the sheet. "Everyone else, I'd appreciate it if you left us alone, since I'm going to need some space."

Jack ran out of the room with a shout of "Right!"

Joe turned to everyone else. "Come on, Cathori knows what she's doing. We'd best leave her be.

Joe sat down opposite Sandy at the table. "So, can you fight?" He asked "I need to know, so that I can plan your defences for tonight."

Sandy nodded "Yes, but while fighting my vision is weakened. I am a shaman of the sands, and I can turn the ground into both my defence and offence."

Joe nodded. "I like the sound of that. Would you mind showing us in a couple of hours when we're attacked?"

"Of course" Sandy said.

Just before six, the heroes had assembled outside. Sandy's guardian was present too, holding her handbag like a weapon. The floor rumbled, and the enemy bodies were spat out. A few grass, some stone, and a plethora of dirt. Quality had clearly been traded for quantity.

Sandy walked forwards calmly, and then without warning, conjured and launched a volley of three stones. They each pierced their targets, and the rest of the army advanced. Sandy next stamped the ground, briefly revealing she had claws and was barefoot, and the earth became soft. Or at least, that's what Joe assumed, since the enemies were now sinking in it. Next, she clapped her hands, and sand appeared from nowhere to cover her robes and body, forming an ornate set of armour that resembled dragon scales. Sandy finally struck a pose, and conjured a huge cloud of sand around herself. With a wave of her hands, it rushed into the enemy army, and took out a huge chunk of them. "Come, allies." She said.

The heroes charged into battle, and fought as hard as they could. They tore through wave after wave of enemies like sandcastles on the beach, and even Tom wasn't struggling to defeat them alone. Joe kept his awareness, and watched as Cathori burned them down and Sung knocked his foes flying. Then he saw Sandy, isolated. A body was about to stab her in the back, and her coat of sand was currently thinned… But then suddenly, a pillar of sand rocketed down from the heavens, and destroyed the assassin. Joe was confused. That definitely wasn't Sandy's spell… Wait, Huang said she'd only be in danger if her parent failed. Had one of her parents seen that exact moment, over fourteen years ago? It seemed unlikely, but they were a hero.

He was just glad she was okay, in the end. The battle was won, and the only reason anyone had broken a sweat was because Sung was treating it more as a training exercise.

 **Author's notes: And the child who's been named for the longest has finally joined. I opted not to give her total knowledge of everything that happens by my version of future sight, instead the seers see unchangeable moments, and they have to change the circumstances in which those moments happen.**

 **Lucario: Wow, that is quite a scream. I thought you might be like that for Kaladi, so here, have a little more of him! And Sung was late because he couldn't find his Clubsword. Can't make a good first impression without your weapon, after all.**

 **Tinh: Oh yes, Kaladi's definitely had the harshest upbringing, and we'll learn more about it later, in fact. Those Dryads were alive and well when Kaladi last saw them, and he hatched just after the shattering. If it makes you feel better, they've had to deal with constant attack too. Sung actually has naturally very thick hair all over his body, but he keeps shaving his chest to show off his tattoos.**

 **Skully: Yes, we're all here for him now. Of course, we won't neglect Jack or anyone else.**

Sandy's moveset (Warrior, 15)

Very low HP for a warrior.

Q: Stone volley, shoot three slow moving stones that slow the first enemy hit by X%, dealing light damage. Short cooldown.

W: Sand armour, Gain a large shield for X seconds. Short cooldown.

E: Summon marsh, create an area of dirt that slows enemies by X% and reduces allied damage taken by 25%. Long cooldown.

R1: Sandstorm, Unleash a large wave of sand that blinds all enemies hit and deals medium damage. Medium ult cooldown.

R2: Raise Mountain, Create a huge circle of impassable terrain, displacing and damaging enemies hit. Long ult cooldown.

D: Vision, grant target hero evasion and spell shield for 1.5 seconds. Long cooldown.

Playstyle: A warrior who can lock down targets through heavy movement reduction, and protects their allies in critical moments.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Hatred's hunter

Late in the night, everyone was settling down to sleep. No single room was large enough to hold all seven heroes, so Joe had ended up in the dining room along with Tom. He was rolling out out his blanket, when Tom looked to Joe and said "Do you wonder how our families are getting on? It's been more than two weeks since we left them."

Joe paused for a moment. "Well, I know Mr. Rogers will be alright. And he's with your family, so they should be safe too. Cathori's veteran… he looked pretty tough, and Selena has Lewis and Simon. Calzaghe could have some problems if he gets into a bad situation, but I think he's able to run fast enough to escape danger. Huang… His house still has a lot of food, and I don't think its walls will collapse any time soon."

"Yeah, but… How are they emotionally? The nurses and doctors there were like mothers and fathers to me. They must be worried sick. I only wish I had some way of contacting them." Tom said.

"You could ask Sandy? She could try to tell you if you see them again." Joe lay down on his blanket, facing the ceiling.

"I think I will. Good idea." Replied Tom, drifting off to sleep.

"What… about you?" Kaladi looked over at Joe from on top of the cupboard.

Joe looked up at him, realising Kaladi had slightly luminescent eyes. "Well… Honestly? The future scares me. But it would be the most unfair thing I could do to everyone if I didn't learn about it because I was afraid, and we had a terrible fate because of that. So I'll be asking too, once I get the opportunity."

* * *

In the bedroom, Autumn, Sandy and Cathori were having a discussion over what Sandy could see.

"So, well, if you can see fixed points… well, how do you know what can be changed?" Cathori asked.

"I can see the scenes play out before me. The unchangeable things are clearly defined, like solid lines drawn with a pencil, or a clear, lone note of a song. The things that can change are blurred, sometimes to the point that I cannot identify them." Sandy said.

"It makes sense. If you look as far into our future as possible, can you see all of us in front of some kind of final challenge?" Autumn said, combing her hair carefully.

"Yes. I can see a door of sorts, and in front of it ten beings. But, we're all slightly blurred. We could all change before reaching there. And our stances are neutral. We're not afraid, but I can't tell if we're good friends, or enemies under truce." Sandy said.

"I don't think we'll be enemies when we reach the end of this. Joe simply wouldn't let that happen." Autumn offered the hairbrush to Cathori, who let her hair out of its bun and began trying to get the tangles out.

She struggled with the brush for a minute, before turning to Sandy "Can you see if I ever manage to get my hair in order?"

Sandy laughed gently "I don't need to be a seer to answer all questions. Turn around, I'll do it for you." She took the brush from Cathori and began carefully brushing her hair.

Autumn held a hand under her chin "Wow, you're pretty good at that."

"It's because of my hood. Having your hair pressed together all day can really mess it up." Sandy said. "There, finished. I'll braid it tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Thanks. But… I like putting it in a bun. It makes me feel ready to get my tasks done, if, uh, that's okay."

* * *

In the living room, Sung and Jack were talking.

"Hey Sung, where did you get this sword?" Said Jack, inspecting the edge of the weapon.

Sung was trying to be quiet, but his voice still came out like a bass. "I forged it myself, from raw metal and projected determination. I gathered the ore by myself, an exceptionally pure kind of iron that has no need of true smelting. I had no hammer to work with, and my forge was a simple stone box filled with burning coal. I heated the metal until it was soft enough to change the shape of, by hitting it with a stone. I beat it into shape with all my strength, until the stone broke into dust. I reheated it, took up another stone, and continued. The stone broke once more, and I found a new stone. Over and over, until my heavy blade was complete. I even coated it in coal dust as I forged, turning the outside to steel. Once I was done with the blade, I smoothed the handle, grinding down one last stone to dust in the process. I wrote the name of the blade on some cloth, and wrapped that around the handle."

Jack looked at the handle, worn red cloth that was wrapped around several times. The name was not visible. "So, what is the name? I can't see it on the handle."

"I have called the weapon Caledtorrwd, a name taken from an ancient and mysterious tongue. Now, a story for a story. Tell me about your fighting style, Jack." Said Sung.

Jack looked at his fists, then cleared his throat and put on his best dramatic voice. "I was trained by a legendary fighter, of such powerful technique, and great dedication to training that nobody in his entire world could defeat him in unarmed combat. He is swift as the wind and hits as hard as it takes to defeat his opponent. Every day, I have trained under him, both to increase my physical strength and my skill. I have completed more push-ups, sit-ups and squats than anyone can comprehend, and I've been taught to not only fight with just as good techniques as my teacher, I can also use my own style that we worked together to create just for me." He coughed, dropping the dramatic tone "Urgh, that voice doesn't suit me…"

Sung patted him on the back "It was an excellent attempt! You may need to expand your vocabulary if you truly want to speak of magnificence, however!"

* * *

The following morning, everyone met up in front of the house. Sandy was talking to her carer. "Grandmother, will you be okay without me? I can see that this place will be attacked again before I return…" She said.

The old lady fished around in her pockets, and produced a small hourglass on a string. "Oh, Sandy. It's so nice to see you going on to meet your destiny. Don't worry about me. Your mother left me one last gift. Look at this." She held it up, and Sandy could see sand whirling inside it. "It's a charm from your mother that stops time in the area. I can wait for you to get back and dispel it, so all you need to do is come back, once it's all over. I love you, Sandy. I'll see you soon."

Sandy hugged the old lady "I love you too, Grandmother. I'll make you proud."

The woman smiled "I don't need future sight to know that you will." She let go of the seer "Now, it's about time you got going! Good luck, children!"

Sandy walked over to the Firebird, and Joe reached down and offered is hand to pull her up. Sandy accepted it, and joined the rest of the heroes on top of the mech.

"Are you ready to leave, Sandy?" Said Autumn, from the front.

"Yes. I'm ready." Said Sandy.

The Firebird pulled away, and Sandy saw the sands of time begin to appear around the house she grew up in.

* * *

Travel was a little bit more muted than normal. Sandy seemed to have a quietening presence, but it wasn't sad or uncomfortable. Everyone just felt inclined to enjoy the scenery, and Cathori made a special effort to make her driving smooth. Eventually, they stopped for lunch in a town made of dark wooden buildings. Jack and Sung swept the area for bodies, and after wiping out a couple of weak ones the group sat down. Tom volunteered to search for anything edible in the houses, since he was 'feeling lucky'.

Kaladi flew around the rooftops, taking the opportunity to stretch himself. He realised that of the group, two were missing… Four were by the Firebird, One in the buildings, and he was up here… He flew around, using his aerial view to see if he could find them. He saw them behind one of the houses, and silently glided into the boughs of a nearby tree to see if they were in danger.

"I just don't know if I'm useful enough, Cathori…" Said Autumn.

Cathori placed a hand carefully onto Autumn's shoulder "Autumn, where's this coming from? Of course you're useful."

"It's just… I'm not very good at fighting. And in conversation, I just can't help but seem so hostile… What if I'm not even helping? What if I'm holding us back?" Autumn whispered.

"You're essential, Autumn. You might not be the best fighter ever, but you're the most logical and sensible person here. You can see threats before any of us, and you've put us all first. You've done a lot of things, and none of them hold us back." Said Cathori. "Do you need a minute to get ready before going back out there?"

"Yes… Thanks." Said Autumn.

Kaladi watched intently, and realised that this probably wasn't something he should tell to the others. He climbed up to the top of the tree, and flew out in a wide arc, returning to the main group.

The next day of travel was much louder, since there were simply so many bodies in all the areas that Cathori couldn't avoid them. Joe was relieved that the group's ranged attacks had improved since he'd last seen so many enemies, it was honestly very tiring. Kaladi and Autumn were the other two ranged units, and they did their jobs well. Autumn's aim was improving, and she was becoming a good shot with her pistol. Joe looked around observing the foes he shot down. Among the familiar and common foes of dirt and grass… There was a distinct lack of anything special. No water bodies. No metal of any sort. Not even stone.

"Autumn? Do you think these foes seem unusually… monotone?" Called Joe.

"Yes. I was putting it down to chance at first, but it can't be coincidence by this point." Autumn replied.

"Look at the ones that haven't seen us yet. They're all walking in the direction we're travelling towards…" Said Joe.

Kaladi landed next to Joe "They are… hunting. I have seen them like this before. Something is… luring them."

Jack stood next to Kaladi "Luring them? Why would anyone lure these things to somewhere?"

Kaladi coughed "Maybe… away from themselves?"

Joe looked forwards again "Someone could be in a lot of danger if they're luring these things in by accident. But they're going towards our destination… You don't think it could be the next child?"

Autumn looked to the group "We must hurry. We need every child we can recruit. If there's a chance they're drawing in these things, then time is a resource we can't afford to waste. Should I tell Cathori to just push forwards, and we'll keep her path clear?"

Joe nodded "Yes. There isn't a second to waste."

Autumn leaned down and shouted into the cockpit "Full speed ahead, Cathori! We may have an emergency!"

The Firebird picked up speed, and rushed into the horizon.

* * *

It was only an hour later that the group saw exactly what was drawing in the bodies. In front of them was an elaborate temple, mostly destroyed but with a giant runed inscription upon its surviving wall. The number of bodies swarming the area bordered on unreal. There was an outer ring of the weaker bodies, displaced there by the stronger ones. After that ring, there were enough stone bodies to build a house, enough steel to make a train, and even more varieties that were alien to Joe. They were all converging on the temple like the rising tide on an island. And in the centre of all this, Joe could see someone. They were moving faster than Joe would have thought physically possible. They were barely even identifiable as a humanoid most of the time, just a blur of red.

"Everyone, to battle! Our mission is to fight our way to the centre, save the fighter, and destroy the rune!" Joe jumped to the ground, followed by the rest of the party. Sung drew the Caledtorrwd from his belt, Jack dropped into his boxing stance, and Cathori put the firebird into battle mode.

"Okay, prioritise using your area attacks! Kaladi, I need you to keep Cathori's power boosted!" Joe gunned down a few bodies that were approaching from the left. "Tom, use the removal cannon so we can break through the steel lines!"

"Gotcha!" There was a blinding flash, and the group pushed onwards.

Joe was keeping the entire group coordinated. He'd gotten lucky the last time he'd fought a great number of them, but this time he was going to win through skill. "Sandy, we're approaching the range of enemy archers! Blind them!"

Sandy wordlessly moved her arms, gracefully sending a wave of arid sands into the mass of bodies that appeared to be copper.

"Sung, Jack, get in there and wipe them out before they recover!"

Jack disappeared in a flash of blue light, as Sung bellowed a war shout and charged. The two adrenaline-fueled warriors dove into the ranks of enemies and launched them to and fro, while Joe supported the attacks with Frost bullets.

"Autumn! I can see a body made of some kind of black substance over there! I need you to go and get me data on it!"

"Yes, Sir!" Autumn wound up her dynamo, and slipped through the enemy lines.

"Okay everyone, keep pushing forwards! We're halfway there!" Joe shouted.

Sung and Jack plowed into the next wave of foes, stone and water. Sung held the Caledtorrwd firmly, and smashed the head of the first one clean off. Jack went even further, and directly targeted the water body that was healing them, to Joe's horror. "Jack, come back! You're in too far! You're in too far!"

The enemy ranks were encircling Jack, and he'd blinked in so recently that Joe was sure he couldn't just warp out. Sandy walked past Joe, serene even as an arrow flew past her and missed her face by a tiny distance, ripping her hood. She conjured her armour, this time covering her face as well, perfectly resembling a bronze dragon's head. She roared, voice twice as loud and in a different tone. "JACK! Move left."

Jack moved to the left, and an awkward blow from a stone body knocked him to the ground, saving him from being skewered on the blades of three others. Sandy raised a hand, and a pair of wings rose behind her, as the ground shook. Without further warning, a small mountain erupted from the floor, and Jack tumbled down one of its faces to land next to Sung. Tom rushed over and healed his wounds.

Sandy breathed. "Excellent. I believe that… was… the… best path." Her dragon mask dissolved, and she collapsed.

Joe nearly panicked, but held his nerves. "Tom! Get her onto the firebird! Kaladi! Move to help Sung! Jack! Make sure they can't move in from the rear!" He shot down more approaching enemies. The noise of combat was nearly deafening, but his voice carried on to his friends.

Tom hoisted the unconscious Sandy over his shoulder, and Cathori dipped the Firebird down just enough for Tom to climb onto one arm with her, and scale it to the top. He held her safely, and began doing all he could to wake the unconscious seer. He healed what minor injuries she had, and checked for a pulse, which was a little high, but stable. Sandy woke and sat up on her own. "I'm okay. I just used too much mana. I'll keep myself up here. Please, go and help our friends." Tom gently removed his hands from Sandy's shoulders and leapt off the roof, straight back into the fight.

The battle raged on. If the foes had been smarter, and moved to attack the group in formation or at least all at once, then it would have been a foregone conclusion. But they just couldn't seem to coordinate, and the group pushed their way to the centre of the chaos.

A lone, small girl was fighting like a demon, without ever slowing down. When the group reached her, Joe shouted "Are you okay? We're going to get you out of here!"

The girl paused long enough for Joe to get a look at her. Absolutely tiny, quite young, and her short dark hair was all pinned down. Her armour was simple leather, and didn't even cover the joints of her arms. It was thickly stitched, and only offered the barest of protection, unless the red undershirt she was wearing was somehow protective. She had tightly fitted boots, and her weapons were a pair of medium sized, smooth knives. "I'm in my element here! And besides, I've got a lot of hatred to repay!" She impatiently tapped her feet, and Joe realised the soles of her boots were metal.

"You can't defeat all these foes alone! Come on, you can't repay anything if you're dead!" Joe turned and activated his Frost Nova, buying a few more seconds.

"They've taken everything from me! There's nothing left for me to live for but vengeance!" She screamed.

"Then come with us! We'll help you get your revenge!" Joe said, offering his hand. The girl paused.

"Deal." She shook once, then leapt out to attack another foe. She was never in the same place long enough for the dull opponents to actually hit her, and she just kept getting faster.

"Okay, everyone! We have to retreat! I'm sorry, but the only way you can defeat this many foes is by attacking more than once!" Joe checked over the rest of the group. Tom was breathing hard and clearly out of mana, The Firebird was damaged but mostly okay, Autumn was dutifully shooting at priority targets, Jack was fighting, but he was tired, and Kaladi was trying to keep everyone healed. Sung was carving through anything that got too close, but taking more damage than was safe, and Sandy was still on top of the Firebird.

"Now, push to the left! They're weak there!" The group moved together, weathering the assault on all sides, and the new girl followed, darting from foe to foe, ripping her targets apart in ways that would have been utterly brutal if they'd had blood or organs. The push was hard, and mana was almost dry throughout the group. They knew that if they couldn't break through quickly, then they would be overwhelmed soon. Sandy was shakily assisting by creating marsh behind them, but she couldn't do much. The edge grew closer, and the group began to face dirt bodies as they got near, but then there it was again.

A silver lance was thrust towards Joe's head, and Joe twisted in surprise. Where had it come from?! He dropped his rifle in shock, and again thought this was his end.

And again, it was intercepted by Kaladi. The difference was that this time, it wasn't a clean deflection. Kaladi was impaled directly through the stomach.

Joe instantly reacted. His rifle wasn't ready, but he didn't reach for it. Joe lunged, snapped the lance in two with his bare hands, and punched the silver body in the face with all his might. He felt the bones in his hand crack. But it had the desired effect, and the silver body's head exploded from the force. Joe snapped around, and grabbed Kaladi from the floor, the tip of the lance dissolving from his chest.

* * *

The events after that were a blur. Next thing Joe knew, he was lying in a field with Kaladi in his arms, while the rest of the group crowded around. He got up, and his entire body exploded with pain, as if each and every muscle turned to burning jelly. On his knees, he looked at Kaladi. The wound was perfectly circular, and went all the way through him. The silver lance was gone, and Joe realised his clothes were soaked in thick black blood. Kaladi coughed, and nothing too bad came up. "I… will… live…" Then he passed out. Tom was already giving him medical attention.

"Okay, I believe the lance pierced his stomach, but it hasn't gone through his respiratory system, heart, or even any bones. He's lost a lot of blood, but it's clotted incredibly fast, so he'll be okay as long as he isn't moved until the wounds are fully sealed. My suit needs just a little more power before I can heal him. He just has to hold on for one minute. One minute, please…" Tom said.

Joe looked at Kaladi. His chest still moved a little. His tail occasionally twitched. "Oh, Kaladi… Please don't die. Please, no."

Kaladi coughed something barely unintelligible. "I'll… Live. Survived… this… before."

Joe stared incredulously. "Before? You've been impaled before, and survived? How? No, wait, don't talk. Save your strength, you can speak when you're better. Tom, has your suit built up enough charge to heal him yet?"

Tom was studying his wrist hard enough to possibly see through it. "Ten seconds and I'll have enough power. Nine, Eight, Seven, Six…"

Everyone stood around the pair of healers. It was the longest ten seconds the Nexus had ever seen.

"Five, Four, Three, Two, One, NOW!" Tom carefully levelled his healing arm at the wound, and a comforting green light illuminated the two. Nanomachines were dispersed into the core of the injury and worked outwards, repairing the tissue structure and sealing cuts. They couldn't make a perfect repair, since they couldn't replicate the lost blood or restructure a completely foreign entity without any knowledge of it, but the wound closed neatly and relatively painlessly. "Okay, pulse is steady, and readouts say that while metabolic systems were damaged, they'll be okay within an estimated time of three hours. Good thing that lance dissolved… I don't think he'd have made it if I'd needed to remove anything. Kaladi, how do you feel?"

Kaladi experimentally touched the area the wound had been "Much better… Thank you."

"Now, doctor's orders: Don't move for at least half an hour. Zerg healing or not, your tissues were restructured, but they'll be weak for a bit. I need to look at Joe's hand now, but if anything goes wrong, get my attention." Said Tom, turning to Joe.

Joe held out his hand. It was an angry red colour and had swelled a little, but after a few seconds Tom breathed out. "It's just a fracture on the back. No permanent damage even if I don't treat it. You'll be absolutely fine as soon as I have enough power to heal you."

"Thank goodness… Since we're out of the crisis now, why don't you tell us how you got impaled before, Kaladi? What happened?" Asked Joe.

Kaladi shifted to look at Joe "While I was small… It was the last thing to happen before I left… The forest. They did not like me. The ones who lived there… decided I was… unnatural. They searched for me, and… they had a spear of wood. They pinned me to the floor… I nearly died… But… My wounds closed quickly. The spear… was not taken out… blood could not flow. I left then… It was… better to face the… bodies."

Cathori and Jack were crying. "Oh, by the elements… That's terrible, Kaladi!" Said Cathori, moving in to hug Kaladi before Tom intercepted her.

"Wait! Don't hug him until he's strong enough to move." Said Tom.

Cathori backed off "Sorry, you're right."

* * *

Half an hour passed of everyone basically trying to recover. No bodies had followed them. The generally accepted thing to do was just lying on the ground. Even the new girl was exhausted. Tom fixed Joe's hand. Kaladi felt able to move. Sandy came down from the firebird. Jack stopped crying. Joe looked over his Admiral's jacket. The left still defiantly held onto its navy blue, but the right side was completely stained black where he'd carried Kaladi, and the blood had dried already. Joe looked closely at the fabric. It was almost as if it was merely dipped in ink, rather than a reminder that one of his group had almost died.

Joe talked to the new girl "So… What's your name? You're definitely like us."

The girl was sharpening her knives, sitting with her knees up against the Firebird. "Hildia. I hate that name. Call me Knives."

Joe sat down next to her. "Knives. Are you okay? Why were you fighting so many enemies at once?"

'Knives' put away her knives and tapped her foot impatiently. "Those stupid, wretched hellborn… imitations! You see how your friend over there nearly died? Well mine did die! My only friend, the only other person I even knew, until today, just died. And it was those things that killed him. I'll make them pay! I never really understood how my parents fought using hatred as a weapon until today. I do now. I'm going to destroy each and every one of them. And before he died, if there's one thing my friend made sure to teach me, it's that the enemy of my enemy is an ally worth having. I'm coming with you. Like it or not." Her voice made Joe think of a thornbush.

Joe offered his newly-repaired hand "I was going to ask you to join us anyway. But just one thing. Don't run off alone, and don't pick fights that we can't win. You can do much more damage by staying alive. Deal?"

Knives shook hands with Joe. "Deal"

Dinner was the last of the tuna. Kaladi got a little extra to speed up his recovery, and Autumn had gathered supplies for and started a campfire while everyone else recovered from battle. Everyone sat around the fire as the sun set, and exchanged stories and greetings. Knives calmed down a little, and although it was clear she and Autumn were suspicious of each other, nothing was said between them.

Around the campfire, as the moon rose, Joe looked around his group. They were all different, but all the same. He smiled as he watched Tom talk to Sung, and Cathori and Kaladi asleep already. Autumn and Jack were tending to the fire, and Sandy was braiding Knives' hair into different styles, smiling at the younger girl's frown. He let himself drift to sleep. It had been a long day.

 **Author's notes: And with that, the rating has been increased to a T. One more child to recruit, the daughter of Li-ming and Falstad. Update: Knives' trait now only retains stacks by damaging enemy heroes.**

 **Tinh: How do you like her? Did she live up to expectations? Her caretaker was in their fifties when the heroes departed, unless I've really failed to remember something. Hiding or altering your physical form is a magic ability that most species can learn, the problem for Sandy is that she hasn't had anyone to learn from.**

Knives/Hildia's moveset (Assassin, 15)

Teeny-tiny HP pool.

Q: Lunge, leap towards a target and deal light damage. Short cooldown.

W: Razor bounce, jump from an adjacent target to a nearby target, dealing light damage to enemies. Short cooldown.

E: Spin slice, Deal light damage to all adjacent enemies. Short cooldown.

R1: Energy burst, Activate to reset the cooldowns of your basic abilities.

R2: Vendetta, Increase attack speed and movement speed by 100% for X seconds or until you participate in a takedown.

Trait: Hyperactivity, Using an ability grants one stack of hyperactivity. All abilities recharge 10% faster per stack. Stacks are lost X seconds after dealing damage to a hero. Dealing damage to a hero refreshes this cooldown. Max 15 stacks. Knives does not have mana.

Important talents: Some form of block, and some form of spellshield. It is important that the spellshield doesn't consume her trait, since that's critical to keeping her mobile (And thus, alive).

Playstyle: A hyper-mobile assassin capable of reaching any target, and wearing down otherwise safe enemies.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The seeker of knowledge

Joe woke up slowly. A chilling wind had blown overnight, and his blankets weren't designed to take anything below freezing. It was probably a good thing he knew frost magic, or he'd be having a really uncomfortable morning… Like Jack and Cathori.

Jack had slept in his armour, but the shields were turned off overnight. He was stiffly walking around, trying to warm up. Cathori was even worse, having no kind of armour and a fairly thin t-shirt. She was hugging herself to keep warm. The others seemed to be okay. Joe began to fold up his blanket, frowning at the dampness. It wouldn't be good if these wore out. It would be even worse if they rotted or grew mouldy, since that could affect the food they had stored. Still, with nowhere else to put them, he packed his blanket into the Firebird alongside the others.

Joe took out the breakfast Autumn had rationed at some point. Scrawled on the side of the paper bag in marker pen were the words 'Need bread. Or biscuits.' Joe looked inside to see… _surprise!_ Yet more beef jerky. How was this stuff so common?

"Everyone, I have breakfast!" Joe called. The members of the group who were awake jogged over to receive some food, while Joe checked everyone. Cathori and Jack were still cold, Sung seemed to be just fine, and Joe could swear he was growing fur over his chest. Autumn appeared behind him, and silently took her few strips of food, stopping to fix Joe's collar. Sandy was appreciating the fact she had robes, and the cut in her hood had been stitched shut overnight and embroidered with a flower. She thanked Joe and walked over to the mech to wait for departure. Joe tossed each of Kaladi's strips of food into the air, and he caught each of them. His zerg half seemed to be pretty much immune to the cold. Knives walked over from a morning exercise routine she'd been running, took the jerky and wolfed it down before returning to her press-ups, and Tom was still sleeping. Joe walked over and tapped his forehead until he woke up. "Tom. It's morning, Tom. We've got to go soon, Tom."

"Mor…" Tom mumbled. "So… Cold…"

"Come on, you can go back to sleep once we're on the move." Said Joe

"Mmkay." Tom rolled over, and rose up. "Hey… Is that for breakfast?" He pointed to the jerky.

"Yeah. I'll pack your stuff away, you go get on the Firebird." Joe passed the food to Tom.

Tom shuffled off to join the rest of the party, and ten minutes later everyone was on top of the Firebird. It was beginning to get crowded up there. Cathori started the engine, and they left the field, with only the ashes of a fire indicating they'd ever been there.

* * *

Through a stroke of luck, or maybe the will of all nine passengers, they immediately crossed into a desert, with the sun blazing in the sky. Joe could practically feel the dampness leave his clothes while they passed through, and looked at his jacket again. The right was still completely black, and had no indication of fading. On the plus side, at least the colour black didn't look too bad against the navy. Sandy probably wouldn't have worn it though. He looked over the area. There were a few bodies of sand roaming around in the distance, but nothing special. After the chaos of yesterday, this felt downright safe.

Joe shuffled over to the front of the mech, where Knives was perched. She seemed tense, as if expecting an ambush. Joe sat next to her. "Knives, do you mind if we talk?"

The small girl frowned. "Yes. But talk anyway."

"All right… Well, I just think it's important we all know each other, so I was wondering how you felt about everyone so far?" Said Joe.

"You're naïve but smart, Medic boy's a bit lazy but he can get stuff done when it counts, Cathori really has to learn to talk properly, Ninja girl doesn't trust me and the feeling's mutual, Jack has the most annoying voice I could imagine, Sung's okay, Dragon girl creeps me out with her calmness, and lizardface over there confuses me by existing." Said Knives.

"I try not to be naïve, we can definitely find out what happened to our parents, Tom just has a weird sleep cycle, Cathori's getting better with her speech but she might take a long time to completely break her habits, I do really need to work on your relation with Autumn, Jack's voice will grow on you, Sandy's really nice to talk to, so give her a chance, and… what's wrong with Kaladi's existence? Oh, and you're crushing on Sung." Listed Joe.

"Wha-?! I am NOT crushing on him! He just has less negative qualities than the rest of us… And Kaladi? I'm sure that they're partly a faerie dragon. And my dead friend was pretty good at magic and biology and stuff, and I very clearly remember him telling me that faerie dragons were specifically created to be as genetically resistant to alteration as possible. So a half-breed should be impossible." Explained Knives.

"Well, not having a shirt seems like something you might complain about, but I notice you let it slide. But I don't really like to tease so I'll stop for now. His other half is zerg, a race that's basically known for assimilating the characteristics of other races. Maybe they hacked into the genetics of a normal faerie dragon?" Countered Joe.

"How exactly would you hack genetics. And even so, I'm also sure that the faerie dragons were meant to be really against anything that could corrupt stuff. I'm pretty sure gene-hacking is corrupting." Said Knives.

"I guess we can't really know for sure. Anyway… Autumn, can you come here?" Called Joe. The girl in question appeared next to them. Knives leaned back.

"I still don't know why I can't just sense you!" said Knives.

Autumn kept her voice at its chilling neutral. "Training. Joe, is something wrong?"

Joe looked between the two. "Nothing urgent. The problem is that you two don't really trust each other too much, do you?"

Autumn grimaced. Knives spoke "No. I'm pretty sure I made this clear?"

"Well, I want everyone to be able to trust everyone else here, or at least not distrust. So… You two are going to be doing some kind of teambuilding exercise. Tell me, Knives. Have you ever danced before?" Said Joe.

* * *

They stopped at a giant abandoned shopping mall at the end of the day. It was so big that it took up the entire section of land it was inside. If the place had had backup power, it was long gone now. Cathori found a shop full of flashlights, and good ones at that. Terran-made, high power and able to last a very long time. The group brought them to a central area where a large tree had been planted, passing through all three levels of the store. Tom hung some of the torches off the tree's lower branches, creating a dimly lit area at the base. Joe sent everyone but Knives and Autumn off to search the store together.

"Now. I'm going to teach you two to perform a dance routine called the Khanduras Waltz, and you're going to have to work together to succeed." Said Joe.

Knives looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. "Excuuuse me. Why do you know a dance routine so well you can teach it to other people?"

Joe smiled "I used it to practice my footwork for dodging. Let's just say that if you think the name Waltz implies it's a slow dance, then you're gravely mistaken."

An hour later, and the two girls were falling all over the place trying to follow Joe's routine. Autumn's footwork was light as feathers, but she kept her arms and hands far too close to her body. Knives had trained herself to escape enemy grips, and be as slippery as possible, which worked beautifully in combat, less so with a dance partner that already didn't do much to touch them. Still, they were improving. And then, Autumn tripped over Knives' feet, and basically collapsed on the spot. Knives tried to avert her hitting the floor, and went down with her partner. They both opted to lie on the floor for a moment.

"Are you two okay? I'll get Tom if you've sprained something!" Joe ran over, worried.

"Nah. But hey, if our frosty friend was going to backstab me, she'd have had plenty of chances while I was falling over. When are the others getting back? Oh, and I guess I can put the blades back onto my knife handles now… " She untangled herself from Autumn, who stood up and brushed the dust off her suit.

"Yes, and I can put ammunition back into my gun. It seems we had the same idea…" Murmured Autumn.

"If you two can at least learn that you don't want to hurt each other and that you can work together, then I'm pretty happy with today. Come on, let's unpack the blankets… Oh no, did I forget to dry them?" Said Joe as he ran over to the parked vehicle. "Aw, they're disgusting. Better hang them somewhere to dry. But what can we sleep in?" He said.

Autumn raised a hand for attention "We are in a very large store. Perhaps one of the shops will have some replacements?"

Joe nodded "Let's just wait until Tom and the others get back. I don't want to disappear on them." He said.

Within ten minutes, the rest of the group appeared carrying as much food as they could, and then some more. Between the six of them there were at least twenty plastic bags full of stuff taken from the abandoned mall, and Tom and Jack were wearing rucksacks as well. Jack ran forwards and dumped the first four bags in front of Autumn.

"The entire third floor is dedicated to food." Jack breathed.

Sung marched up and put another six carrier bags down. "Not all of it is packed efficiently. And some products have too much packaging. Also, a lot of the items are spoiled or rotten. We can't risk illness, so be careful what you take."

"Okay, the blankets are all damp after we used them in the rain last night, so has anyone seen a store where we can get some replacements?" Said Joe.

"Yeah, there was a shop that was full of sleepwear and related items. Come with us, it looks like you've finished your training with those two." Said Tom.

Joe and the two girls followed the rest of the group up to the second floor, where a dusty textile shop waited. "I can't see much sleepwear here. Plenty of cloth though. Let's have a look!" He pulled the door open, and the group filed in.

Cathori reached up to the ceiling and wedged a torch between two tiles. It didn't light up the whole room, but it cast a glow over most of the shop. Joe looked at a wall stacked with nearly a hundred patterns of cloth. He looked behind him, and saw Sandy brushing off a sewing machine.

Sandy tapped Cathori's shoulder gently. "Cathori? How do I activate this? Grandmother had one, but it broke down a long time ago." She softly said.

Cathori crouched, and began levering a panel off the back of the machine. "I'll show you. Are you going to make something with the fabric? Hey, Sung, go get some batteries from the shop over there please?"

Sandy began selecting some of the cloth from the wall, pulling it down and feeling it, judging the colours and durability. "I'll make us some blankets. I can even use the sewing machine to put some nice stylish designs on them. Joe, you first. Stand there so I can pick something that goes well with your jacket."

Joe stood under Cathori's torch as Sung brought the batteries for the machine. Sandy held a few types of cloth next to him before settling on a dark blue, highlighted with purple. She worked quickly, first lining it up with a sheet of much softer material for the underside, then using the just repaired machine to stitch the two layers together, write 'Joe' on one corner, and embroider a pattern around it.

Sandy repeated the process nine times, selecting colours rapidly and making accommodations for the user's wishes. Tom, Autumn, Jack and Sung were easy to please. Cathori wanted a warmer blanket, so Sandy put an extra layer of fabric into it. Kaladi wanted his blanket to cover him reliably, so Sandy left the top open and made an impromptu sleeping bag. Knives insisted upon a thinner blanket to make her used to harsh conditions. Sandy sewed a pocket onto her own blanket, and promptly drew her haircomb from her robes and left it inside. Each descendant apart from Joe left the shop as they received their blanket, returning to the ground floor.

She was just finishing when Joe spoke. "Hey, we'll be finding the last person soon. Maybe we should make one for them?"

Sandy smiled "Gladly. Now, what colours… Gold? Fuchsia? We haven't used any Scarlet yet…"

Joe thought out loud "Well, we want something a boy or a girl would like, but everyone likes gold. And we have that nice black velvet you didn't use yet, so…"

"Black and gold then." Confirmed Sandy. "I'll have it together in fifty three seconds. Now, to make sure my visions turn out well, please go downstairs and sleep. We'll be woken suddenly later."

"That's… Well, thanks for the warning. I'll tell Cathori to make sure we can go quickly." Said Joe, leaving the shop as Sandy put the finishing touches on the blanket.

The rest of the group were already falling asleep. Joe settled down, and found himself slipping away in only a few minutes.

* * *

The following morning, the group was woken by a roaring crash as one of the staircases collapsed. Joe took one look at the damage and said "Cathori. Prepare the Firebird, we have to go Now. The building might collapse at any moment."

"Got it. Jack, you pack away anything that has to be packed. Blink on once you're done. Everyone else, hurry and board." Cathori was already halfway into the cockpit. Jack threw the blankets into the storage as fast as he could, while everyone else scrambled onto the vehicle's roof.

A balcony collapsed near the stairs. "Guys, we need to go." Said Tom.

Jack blinked onto the roof next to him and screamed "DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!"

The Firebird's engine buzzed and the vehicle rushed out of the collapsing building.

The next day was relatively smooth travelling. Knives was struggling to contain her hatred, and also her boredom, since sparring while on top of the Firebird was expressly forbidden to her by Joe. Joe was keeping an eye on everyone, listening in on some conversations. Knives was staring at Sung's chest hard enough to permanently burn an image of his abs into her eyes. Jack was intensely playing Rock-Paper-Scissors with Autumn. Kaladi and Tom were napping. Sandy was sitting serene, allowing the wind to wash over her. Joe couldn't help but smile at the thought of adding another person to the group. It was only an hour later that they came into view of the last home on Joe's map:

* * *

The Great Library. Originally Li-Ming's house, it had evolved into a library of spells and magics tended to by several people. It had been rebuilt into a huge hall, with living quarters at the back, and could be identified by the building's supporting pillars, according to Joe's guardian. The building before him might have been beautiful before The Shattering, but was now barely recognisable. Part of the roof was covered by a plastic tarpaulin, the supporting pillars were scarred and one even broken, and the windows had all been boarded up long ago. Joe gave the signal to stop the Firebird outside.

The group exited, and approached the main doors of the library. They were maybe wooden at one point, but now were a pile of stone and rubble, with a glowing blue symbol in front of them. Joe placed a hand on the rubble.

"It's a magic seal. Way more powerful than I can undo. Whoever lives here definitely has a lot of magic." Joe said, drawing his hand back carefully.

"Greetings! We wish to come inside, please unseal your door!" Shouted Sung. The volume was nearly enough to knock Jack over backwards.

Whoever was inside obliged, and the seal disappeared, causing the rubble to float upwards, eventually bumping into an overhang on the building. A wooden door painted a bright yellow was revealed. Joe walked up to it and knocked gently. The door swung open, pulled by an invisible hand. Joe slowly walked in.

The inside of the library was almost entirely books. Millions, if not billions of pages of condensed knowledge surrounded Joe from every angle, forming walls of paper. Joe carefully went in, trying not to bump into any of the stacks of paper, making his way to the centre of the room. He looked around. Every angle was books. Old, new, parchment, paper, thin, thick, hardback and paperback. Great works of literature from Azeroth such as 'The crest of the wave' were mixed in with cryptically named tomes from Sanctuary and machine-printed tales like 'A hopeless planet' from Korhal. A copy of a small book titled 'Holes' from yet another world poked out from the pile. Joe nearly decided to stop and stare. Even reading the titles of this many books would take him all day. He moved on, as his group came in behind him.

"Careful you don't bump into anything. Books are rare with all that's been going on." Called Joe to the back of the group, as he imagined Jack toppling a pile.

Eventually he reached the back of the room. A small clearing in the forest of books was occupied by a small desk with a small, teenage girl reading through a novel.

She had ginger hair in a ponytail, and wore yellow robes that looked like they were designed for sitting and reading in for hours at a time. An empty leather satchel was slung over one of her shoulders, and a pair of brass-rimmed spectacles teetered on the end of her nose. She didn't look up from her book as Joe approached her, but acknowledged him with "Hello! Or Greetings, Hi, Howdy, Good day, and Bonjour Mademoiselle."

"Hello. Are you…" Joe hesitated to disturb the reader. "Can we discuss some things? I have a few questions."

The girl carefully bookmarked her page with a scrap of ribbon. "Like a detective? I just read a great murder mystery, you'd never believe who- Ooh. No spoilers. What do you need?"

"Well, I'd like to ask if you know who your parents are… And also, do you have any kind of guardian here? And, what's your name? I'm Joseph Raynor." Said Joe.

Autumn appeared to the side of them "I'm going to take Knives and Jack outside. I don't want them doing anything silly." She disappeared again.

The girl clasped her hands together "Yes, I love reading about the exploits of my parents. The two daring adventurers! Falstad and Li-Ming, the thane of the Wildhammers and the slayer of demons! No, the librarian… it was old age, I think. He was only just able to get me to twelve. But he taught me enough magic to get started. And my name is Li-Yen. Tell me, Mister Joe. Do you know why _you_ are here? Sorry, I always wanted to use that cliché."

Joe looked a little confused "I've… never heard the phrase. I only really had a few good storybooks from Azeroth. And there are at least four worlds to get them from. Where did you… Wait, I'm getting off track. I'd like to invite you to join my group."

Li-Yen tapped the desk "Aw, it just fitted so well in the book I read it. It was about this person that was hired to assassinate a king, but he was invited to see the king. The king let himself die and pinned the blame on somebody else so that his queen could uncover the one who hired the assassin, and- Oh, I'm saying too much!"

Joe chuckled "That's okay. It's nice to hear about all these books. My guardian always called them worlds on paper. So… I can see you're a very powerful magic user. Can you use it to fight?"

"Yes! I read a lot about my parents, and I found out that I'm so good at electrical spells, that you'll be shocked. I created my own set of abilities using these scrolls. But… Well, I don't have too much practice on real enemies. I just let the librarian deal with those bodies." Said Li-Yen.

"Librarian? What kind of librarian do you have?" Asked Tom.

"Come with me, I'll show you! The librarian is outside." Li-Yen said, weaving her way through the other children to reach the door. She waited for a minute as everyone else came out of the building, and Joe brought Knives and Jack over. Li-Yen clapped her hands twice. "Librarian. Appear." She commanded.

There was a rumbling sound. The rubble that was trapped on the overhang suddenly flew towards the centre of the group, a pair of concrete slabs thudding into the floor between everyone. More fragments of the Library landed on top of them, forming a pair of makeshift legs. The stones formed a torso with a large hole inside it, and then completed a pair of arms and a head. Li-Yen produced a large book from her satchel, possibly the only thing inside it, and slotted the book into the Librarian's chest cavity. Runes lit up upon every last stone.

Li-Yen turned to the group "Everyone, this is the Librarian. I made them to defend this place. They… Well, I couldn't make it talk. But they do recognise you as safe, so you do not need to worry about anything. Well, unless you damage the building. Don't damage the building."

"Hello, Librarian. Oh, Li-Yen, I didn't introduce the rest of us yet, did I? Everyone, tell her about yourselves." Said Joe.

"I'm Thomas Morales. I grew up learning medicine."

"Knives Stormrage. Fear my wrath."

"Cathori Findlay, master mechanic, and pilot of the Firebird!"

"I am Autumn Terra, Intelligence specialist."

"Jack junior Oxton, the best boxer there is!"

"Sung Stormstout, student of Master Huang Long"

"Kaladi… Survival expert?"

"Sandy Earthfury, seer of the future. Pleased to meet you."

"And I'm Joseph Raynor. Do you recognise any of our last names, Li-Yen? I think that they should be all too familiar to you if you've got any books on Anchor's history." Finished Joe.

Li-Yen covered her mouth with her hands but a small squeak still escaped before she could control her surprise. "You… You're all?! Oh, this is amazing! I can name almost all of your parents, you must be the son of the legendary doctor Morales who saved a life every time they operated, and you're the daughter of the lord of the arena Rehgar, and wow! You… You want me to join you? Yes! I always wanted to be like those heroes in my books! And there's so much I can learn from all of you…"

"If you want to join, we'd be happy to have you. But we'd like to rest here overnight. Is that okay?" Said Joe.

"Oh, of course. No need to ask that. I need to go and get ready for my adventure! It's going to be great!" Bubbled Li-Yen.

The group were invited to sit inside and let the Librarian handle the daily assault. Knives refused and went out to fight, and Tom volunteered to go with her and make sure she didn't get hurt. The other eight children were able to sit inside reading as the Librarian punched its way through anything that dared to threaten the library.

Kaladi was sitting on the desk awkwardly. "How do I… Read?" He asked Li-Yen.

"You can't read? But you can speak? Here, I'll see if I can show you." Li-Yen selected a thin book from a shelf behind herself.

"I… knew how to speak… since I hatched. It was… part of my… Essence." Said Kaladi.

"Essence? I'm sure I've seen that term used like that a few times before, in novels from… hmm, I think the novels were from Augustgrad. Yes, that one written by one of the luckiest survivors of… The invasion of Kerrigan. Say, Kaladi, are you a Zerg? I never imagined a Mutalisk would be so cute!"

"I… am half Zerg. Not sure… what a Mutalisk is? Is it… dangerous?"

"Yes, they were apparently incredibly dangerous, I'll show you the book, just let me find it…" Li-Yen replaced the small book that she'd previously picked up and started looking through a towering pile of books on her right. Eventually she plucked out a paperback titled 'Survival of the luckiest'. She flipped through to a section in the first quarter of the book. "Here, Kaladi. I'll read this out to you. 'The walls of the hotel collapsed as our streets were flooded. The Zerg swarm ravaged our city without mercy, and the pavements ran red with blood. Our soldiers fought bravely, but soon they fell to the unending swarm. I was left to die. The building was crumbling around me, and even the best men in the sector couldn't save my life. I could hear a Zerg leader of some kind. It was hissing, and I heard it say "Essence... I will collect your essence!". Mutalisks flew overhead, blotting out the sun and raining acid upon what was left of our beautiful city, and then I succumbed to my wounds, and lost consciousness…'"

Kaladi shrunk back "I… often feel like… I should collect essence. Take essence. Do you know… If essence… is only collected by some Zerg?"

Li-Yen adjusted her spectacles "I'm sure I read an official analysis of the battle by the Emperor Valerian. He recorded that the leaders of Kerrigan's swarm for the assault on Augustgrad were Zagara, a broodmother who was being trained to become the next queen, Stukov, A terran who was turned into a Zerg, Dehaka, a special type of Zerg that collected essence in combat, and Abathur, who assisted from afar by using essence to create weapons. And Abathur and Dehaka appear in Anchor's official records as heroes, so… You're descended from one of them, unless there's a twist more convoluted than 'Fifteen jewels'. But who was your other parent?"

"Brightwing. She was a Faerie Dragon. I am told… that she was also a hero." Said Kaladi.

"Hmm. Interesting. I'll have to ask Joe about this. If only we could meet them, imagine what it would be like to see our parents, the true masters of their skills, personally." Li-Yen closed 'Survival of the luckiest' and carefully placed it on top of another pile of books.

"Joe's goal… is to find them. I… think he… forgot to mention that." Said Kaladi.

Li-Yen blinked slowly "You know, after today nothing is going to be able to surprise me."

Jack walked over "Hey, Li-Yen? Do you have any books about the Protoss? Knives says I'm genetically impossible, even though I exist, so I was wondering if you had some books on them?"

Li-Yen began looking through a giant stack of very heavy records. "Well, I recall they have a lot of psionic abilities…"

 **Author's notes: Some hints as to future events here. The Final Child has joined! Although they all have a lot of character to develop. Tell me who's your favourite, and why in the comments!**

 **Lucario: Characters in pain are at an all-time low this chapter! It won't last. And I will be honest, I'm not sure if a friend's blood would be my first choice of jacket dye.**

 **Skullypirate: Yeah, after thinking about it I agreed with you guys enough to change it.**

 **LordStrkil10: Thanks! And time isn't wasted unless you do absolutely nothing with it. The only difference is what you gain from it. Hope you'll stick around! Also, great timing on the review. I nearly missed it, it came in as I was finishing the chapter!**

Li-Yen's moveset (Assassin, 15)

Q: Yellow lightning, give ANY unit a yellow charge. The enemy in range of the affected unit closest to a friendly unit takes X damage every second. Medium cooldown.

W: Blue lightning, give ANY unit a blue charge. The nearest enemy within range of the affected unit takes X damage every second. Medium cooldown.

E: Red lightning, give ANY unit a red charge. The furthest enemy within range of the affected unit takes X damage every second. Medium cooldown.

R1: Lightning Strike, If an enemy hero takes damage from all 3 of your basic abilities at once, lightning instantly strikes them and a small area around them for heavy damage. Can only occur once every 10 seconds.

R2: Thunderstorm, For 6 seconds your basic abilities hit up to 3 targets. Medium ultimate cooldown.

Trait (Quest): Thirst for Knowledge, Participate in a takedown against an enemy hero, and channel on the area they fell for 2 seconds without taking damage to collect information. Once this has been done for 3 unique enemies, activate this ability to gain 25% bonus ability power and reduce cooldowns by 1 second. Medium cooldown.

Notes: All Li-Yen's moves have huge range, rivalling Chromie. Extremely squishy, and no escape (Would be insane in a 1v1 otherwise)

Playstyle: A tricky assassin who heavily disrupts enemy positioning by giving nearby foes and friends lightning charges. Weak in the early game, but once her quest is complete and teamfights begin, she poses an enormous threat.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Fragments of the past

The next day, Joe took his time preparing everyone. He let Tom sleep in for an extra twenty minutes. He gave Sandy time to completely brush her hair. It was a quiet morning, with a warm sunrise. Although he knew a sunrise was never going to affect his group, he couldn't help but feel that this one symbolised hope. He'd hit a major milestone in his quest. All ten of the descendants were united.

"Still, I can't rest on my laurels. I need to continue to trace our parents' footsteps." He murmured to himself. "Li-Yen, we're leaving soon. Are you ready?" He called.

Autumn materialised next to him "She is currently deciding what book to take with her. Also, she's been helping Kaladi and Jack look through some Biology textbooks. Jack's existence is more mysterious than Kaladi's."

"Okay we're leaving in twenty minutes, so make sure Li-Yen gets a chance to place any defences she needs on her home." Said Joe.

"Acknowledged." Said a vanishing Autumn.

Over the next few minutes, Joe gathered everyone to leave. Li-Yen activated The Librarian and left it running, before joining everyone on top of the Firebird. Her satchel was bulging.

Li-Yen looked around in awe. "This is so cool. This is going to be the best adventure. I'm ready, prepared, and enabled!"

Joe addressed the group "Okay, our next location to visit is the old city hall. That should contain records of where our parents went, and more importantly how they went there. It was originally going to be the longest journey at three weeks, but since we seem to travel faster when more of us are together, maybe we'll get there as quickly as three days. Now, let's go!"

* * *

Travel was easy at first, but the bodies began to slowly make a reappearance over the first few hours. Li-Yen demonstrated her power by electrifying a few of them, but the group generally tried to power through them. The strategy was quite a lot easier on their stamina than nonstop battle. But Joe noticed something unnerving.

Every area they passed through, while mostly filled with dirt or grass bodies, had one silver body. Such a rare metal shouldn't appear so frequently. He pointed it out to Li-Yen. "Li-Yen, have you seen a body like that silver one before?"

Li-Yen shook her head. "No. But all bodies have a unique attribute based on what they're made of, right?"

"I think so. I was never really able to test each one, but stone is resistant to magic, and water heals other bodies, right?" Said Joe.

"I've never seen a water body personally. But I actually kept a record of every kind of body The Librarian smashed. Here, it took me a while to find where I left the book…" She pulled out a notepad with 'Enemy index' scrawled on the front. She flipped the front open "Dirt men. Pathetic in every way. No abilities. Common."

Joe leaned over. "This is really important information! Tell me another one."

"Grass men. Effective against the weak. Some signs of self-healing. Common. A lot of the common ones are boring. Can I tell you about one of the exciting rare ones?" Asked Li-Yen.

"Of course! Do you have any notes on Silver, or maybe Copper and Gold? Since those are elements scientifically similar to Silver, despite the magical differences." Said Joe.

"Huh… Silver… I have Brass. But that's the only rare metal I've seen. Brass and other more common metal men all share enhanced physical defence. Brass men are able to generate a large amount of noise to surprise enemies. Didn't go too well against The Librarian, since it's deaf. But let me tell you about the one time I found a Spice man." Smiled Li-yen, flipping towards the back of her notepad.

"Spice? Whatever force creates these things made one out of spice?" Said Joe.

"Well, I did find it inside a warehouse. But anyhow, the stupidly rare and slightly useless spice man. Made entirely of curry powders. That one had the ability to create a huge cloud of powders that I couldn't see through or really enter, which could have been effective if there were other bodies to help it. But it didn't really do much on its own. It went down in one zap."

"Impressive. See, I'm beginning to suspect that the silver body is following me… It's appeared far too often for such a rare enemy. And unfortunately, there's no question that it wants me dead. I hoped that it was just some bad luck that we kept seeing it today, but now I'm sure that it isn't coincidence." Joe said.

"What if we locked it in place, like the angels did to Diablo in their legends? We just need some rope, and Silver isn't too strong as a metal. And there are much better magical materials too. Some good rope could leave it out of action for a long time." Pointed out Li-Yen.

* * *

They travelled on for only a few hours before something happened. The Firebird crossed into a dense forest, and a very startled dryad found a giant war machine hurtling towards them at breakneck pace. Collision was imminent, and the Firebird had far too much momentum to stop immediately. Cathori's split-second solution was to break out of drive mode and use the machine's legs to stop movement.

Everyone on top of the vehicle was immediately thrown forwards by the deceleration. The Firebird was slowing fast, ploughing through the dirt below. The dryad was still in shock. It slowed, and roughly bumped the dryad in the side, just hard enough to knock them over. Eight teenagers then fell on top of the unfortunate dryad.

"Did I stop it in time? Joe, tell me if I hit the deer! Is everyone okay?" Shouted Cathori in panic.

Joe was on top of the pile, since he'd previously been at the back of the roof. The only one not in the pile on the floor was Kaladi, who'd glided some ten meters before crash-landing into a bush. Joe rolled off and started picking his way through his allies, checking for broken bones or concussions. The worst anyone had was a nasty scrape along Autumn's left arm, but the bleeding wasn't life threatening. Finally Joe reached the misfortunate dryad, and did his best to assess their injuries. They wore some form of bark as armour across their torso, and that had probably saved them two or three broken bones. One of their legs was at a horrible angle, and they would probably have bruising across their entire body if left untreated. But she would definitely survive. She wore nothing apart from the bark armour, but it was fairly covering compared to what Mr. Rogers had warned Joe to expect when he talked about Dryads.

Joe looked across his slightly beaten team "Kaladi, I need you to come and heal us. You can heal all of us at once, right?"

Kaladi didn't comment, and produced a Bio swarm to repair the party's injuries. But Joe noticed he didn't do anything to help the injured dryad…

"Kaladi, why didn't you… Oh. Oh, Oh, no." Said Cathori, looking between the two.

Kaladi was glaring daggers at the fallen dryad. "I… should… kill you. You… I did not forget... your… kind's spears."

The Dryad coughed, and turned to face the half-zerg. "What?! You? I'm not scared of you. I-I'm not…" Whatever the Dryad was going to say was interrupted by a yelp of pain from her broken leg. They began to cry. "Please… don't do this. I didn't hurt you myself. I didn't hurt you! It was M- someone else who volunteered to do it! It was Amber who led the decision to do it! I… I was never a part of that!"

Joe stepped between them "Nobody is dying. Now calm down and stop trying to put blame on others."

Kaladi came around Joe's side to face off against the wounded Dryad. "She…"

Joe cut him off "Will not die now. The dryads… we need them on our side. Killing people doesn't help that. Still, if she tries to hurt any of us, then I'll let you do whatever you want. Now, Dryad, what is your name."

The dryad was still sobbing. Autumn knelt and looked at their face. "They've given in to panic. It's genuine as far as I can tell. I don't think we'll be able to talk to them for a while."

Knives marched over and slapped a hand across the Dryad's cheek, shocking them into silence. "Now, LISTEN HERE." She announced to the forest around her. "I know there are at least three of you watching us right now! You in the long grass there, with the stupid fern top. And you two behind the trees there and there. You are really terrible at caring for your allies if you're just going to stand there and let some unknowns possibly attack one of your friends. Get your cowardly backsides out here and either calm your friend down or attack us!" She yelled.

"Knives, you can't slap people with broken legs…" Whispered Tom. Only Autumn heard him.

One of the Dryads complied and actually came out. She cautiously made her way over to her fallen friend. "Lavender, what happened?" She asked her friend with a tired voice. She looked at the group, seeing Kaladi. "Right. Well, that explains the breakdown. We're not going to fight you. None of us are in any shape to fight without reason these days. Even if we can heal our wounds, we just… well, there are only twelve of us Dryads left, and fourteen Faerie dragons… Can you… can you heal her, child of Brightwing? Our powers are… exhausted."

Joe could see that Kaladi was supressing the urge to spray the new dryad with acid for asking. He decided he would need to handle this carefully. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you tried to kill him? In fact, you impaled him and left him to die. And now you want him to heal one of your kind. That isn't fair. Even if he did just forgive everything and he healed Lavender… Would your people change how they thought of him? Or would they try to kill him for nothing a second time? But, at the same time… this shouldn't be my decision. Kaladi, you can choose their fate. We can either heal Lavender, or we can leave here."

Kaladi looked around. "Knives… bring out… Maple. She is… behind the nearer tree."

"HEY! Maple, you better get out here now if you want your friend to live!" Shouted Knives.

A scarred dryad well-armoured with roots stepped out holding a javelin. "Lavender… Lavender, did you have to get hit? I can't protect us from everything! Ugh. What are your demands… healer."

Kaladi was silent for a long time. "My… instinct. My instinct yearns for blood, revenge. But… my memory. My memory has lessons from another time. Written into me. It says to heal. Tell me… Maple. Am I a Faerie dragon or a Zerg?"

Maple gritted her teeth and Joe could see the panic in her eyes. Maple had been prepared to sacrifice anything, even her life. She would have fought everybody in the nexus. But she was not a philosopher. She couldn't see if there was an answer Kaladi was looking for. Joe watched as Maple took a steady breath and said "Neither."

"...And what does that mean for me?"

Joe could see Maple suffering as she searched for the most universally acceptable answer. "I… suppose… we…" Her speech was trying to buy her an extra few seconds and everyone knew it. Maple faltered, unsure what to do.

Kaladi's bio swarm flared to life, and Lavender's leg untwisted, the swelling in the joint disappearing and the angry red marks on her side fading away. Kaladi looked at Maple "You… were taking too long. She was going... to die. Wounds were… on the inside."

Maple gasped as if winded. "She… you saved… but…"

"Yes… I could have let her die. I wanted to… but… I do not think… it would be wise. Just because my body… wants to control me, does not mean… that I am mindless." Said Kaladi.

Lavender stood up shakily. "Mother, I feel alright. What do we do…?"

Maple sighed "I'm going to get someone else to decide what we do. I'm not very good at that. Wait here, adventurers." The root-clad dryad walked away, into the brush.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the party were sitting around a central glade in the forest. The Dryads had cautiously welcomed them, and most of the group were content to look around, but a few members had some important questions to ask.

Joe was talking to the Dryad elder and the Faerie chief. It was difficult to get useful information, but they were not unreasonable. The Faerie chief almost never spoke. And when they did, it was only as necessary. The Dryad elder perpetually talked, but mostly about how all the other Dryads were growing up. Joe had been pursuing any information on how he could find the heroes, but they were tough to talk to.

Cathori was performing a particularly nasty repair on the Firebird. It was never meant to be stopped so suddenly, and so all the joints in the legs would need to be checked. An utterly perplexed and mildly passive-aggressive dryad kept an eye on her.

Kaladi had a lot of questions. Another Faerie dragon by the name of Dayleaf was assigned to answer them. They were struggling. Kaladi asked about his ancestors, "We only know that your mother was Brightwing, because none of the rest of us would ever go near the Zerg. They're too aggressive."

…About magic, "It's a bit different to whatever you're using. I think you got yours from your Zerg half."

…About the tasks of the protectors, "We keep the forest pure. I think that's why you were exiled. Only half forest."

…About himself, "Your existence is a mystery. But you seem to have some of our better traits. I don't mind you."

And onwards. Poor Dayleaf had no idea what to tell him for about half of these.

Kaladi was down to his last question. "Do you… know anything about… how I can control the need I have for essence?"

"It's not your Faerie half that needs anything. But, do not restrain yourself forever, or you will damage yourself."

And Knives was of course sparring against Maple. The two of them had drawn most of the unoccupied members of the two groups to watch as Knives flipped and twisted her way around Maple's spear. There were some small gasps as Knives made particularly dangerous moves that forced Maple to actually stop attacking.

Sandy decided to talk to Li-Yen. Unhindered by the sticks and moss on the ground, she walked over to the brass-spectacled girl. "Li-Yen. What are you reading?" She asked, sitting down slowly.

Li-Yen froze "Oh, uh, well, Nothing! I… Heard you were a seer, tell me about what it's like!"

Sandy smiled "It's a mixed blessing. I can tell when things are going to happen, but I can't always change them. Do you want to know a vision I've seen recently?"

"Of course, I want to try and understand as much as I can!" Said Li-Yen.

"Well, I've seen you reading me a poem. I was wondering if it was in that book." Sandy continued.

Li-Yen sweated nervously "I… Well, okay. I was writing a haiku for each member of our group. But it's difficult to really sum up anyone in seventeen syllables, and I don't even know all of us that well…"

"Don't worry. Read one to me." Said Sandy.

Li-Yen drew a breath and picked out a haiku "Leader of us all/ A beacon of hope and care/ Honours his parents. That was the first one I wrote."

"Joseph's. It fits him. Also… Are your glasses…" Sandy leaned in to look at Li-Yen's spectacles.

"Nope! No inspecting those." Said Li-Yen, leaning away.

Sandy sat back. "Okay."

* * *

Shortly before the daily attack, defences were rallied. Joe was tired after spending the entire day concentrating on a conversation, and averting a few fights between the two groups, but he was still prepared to step up and defend the area. His fighters were mixed in among the forest dwellers.

The bodies were predominantly grass, as Joe had been expecting, but he also took note of an unusually high number of water foes, and there was a familiar enemy in sight.

The silver body was spearheading the attack. It couldn't possibly be a coincidence anymore. "Knives. I have a special mission for you, I think you'll enjoy it." Said Joe.

"Yeah? If it's something stupid I won't be happy." Replied Knives.

"You see that silver one, with the spear? It's been following us. It's the one that nearly killed me and Kaladi twice. Do as you please." Ordered Joe.

Knives armed herself, and prepared to lunge. "Well, that's an order I don't mind."

The two sides clashed. It was an attack from many sides, with each important point defended by one or two descendants and a few forest dwellers. The foes were actually relatively tough, since the water enemies were regenerating everything so quickly, but Joe realised something was different from the early battles he'd fought, with only a few allies. He was able to predict what his foes were doing, identify which allies would need his help when. He was slowly but surely becoming more experienced.

Nonetheless, battle continued, and the silver body entered the fight only to gain Knives' full attention. Joe shot down any enemy that tried to get close and interrupt the absolute thrashing that her hatred was fueling, but he might as well have just let them come, she was all but invisible she was striking so fast. The silver body should have died at least a hundred times over, but Joe realised Knives was intentionally striking with only the tips of her weapons. Merely making scratches upon the surface of the body, but fast enough that the body was wearing down. Eventually, she got bored and removed an arm. The body dissolved, clearly having had enough.

* * *

The rest of the battle went easily. Before anyone knew it, they were sitting around a particularly bright mushroom as night fell, and Joe shared what he'd learned from the two leaders.

"Well, um, what did you find out, Joe?" Asked Cathori.

"Apparently our parents left this realm by some kind of invitation. There used to be a hero who was an Arch-druid, and he apparently felt a great magical disturbance before all the heroes were called to fight. So I think we'll need magic to reach them. Or we need to find the same kind of invitation…"

Li-Yen raised a hand "I have some things you should know. Have you ever heard of the 'Realm lords'?" She scanned the group "You haven't. I'll try to explain. Often, the heroes were summoned from their everyday lives to fight in other realms for an unknown purpose, some theorise to keep them peaceful in this realm and others think for entertainment, but anyhow. Each realm was presided over by a lord, hence the name. I didn't make the connection until you phrased it this way, but what if the realm lords have sent our parents somewhere? We need to get their attention."

Knives tapped her foot "Aaand why should we believe this?"

Li-Yen tapped the side of her head "Official documents say so. I left them back at my house, but I can recall all the names listed of the lords, and some rather short notes on their personalities. Apparently they never interacted with the heroes they summoned to fight. Do you want me to recite them?"

Joe nodded "If we're going to try and get their attention, then yes. Maybe we can work out what would appeal to each of them."

"The Lady of the Shire, Lord of Dragon Shire. Formal. Her country was ravaged by war. The Raven Lord, Lord of Ravencourt. Very powerful. Untrustworthy. Lady Nightshade, Lord of the Garden of Terror. Insane. Her lands are overgrown with hostile plants. The Gravekeeper. Realm has not been seen for a long time. Presumed to no longer exist. And Ka, the Sun god. There were more, but the records I had were incomplete. They were halfway through making them before The Shattering." Li-Yen explained.

Tom spoke next "So which of those would notice us if we… Well, how could we send up a signal?"

"I've got it. Or, well, I, _think_ I've got it. We would all need to perform an overlapping action somewhere that the dimension isn't very stable. It would be like standing on top of something and shouting for attention." Theorised Cathori.

"Then, we go to the city hall as originally planned. That was the centre of Anchor, so that is where the world would have been damaged the most, right guys?" Asked Jack.

"And we could all say the same thing loudly, or maybe cast a strong spell to get the attention of the lords." Added Autumn.

Sung bolted upright, a sudden realisation coming to him. "We shall sing the chant of our world. Master made sure I knew it. And now I understand its importance. It will need each of us to remember a specific intonation, but I am sure it will catch the attention of your… lords."

"Yes, I know the song of which you speak. No words, simply voices. Or at least, that is what I saw in my visions. Sung, you will need to teach us the five parts of this song. And we will need a conductor…" Said Sandy.

"Very well. I cannot sing the song alone, so you each will need to memorise your part from me before it can be played…" Sung drew a deep breath and began to chant.

 **Author's notes: In the original version of this chapter, Kaladi actually poisoned Maple and killed her, and** **she used her dying breath to ask them to heal Lavender. I changed the story to justify some form of truce with the Dryads/Faerie Dragons, since most of the rest of the group wouldn't be mentally able to kill them.**

 **Tinhline: Knives is your favorite, hm? She'll have a major role to play in two chapters' time… And Illidan HATES being treated like garbage, which makes him more powerful, and he likes power, so…**

 **Lucario: This has been planned as one of Kaladi's major chapters for a while now. And I DO wonder if anyone at Blizzard has seen this story. It would be pretty nice to know what they think of it. Maybe someday I'll get lucky.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Ascending

The group left early. There had been no reason to stay awake for longer than necessary last night, and even if they weren't enemies of the forest dwellers, welcome could certainly grow thin. Everyone quietly packed away their possessions by command of Joe. Tom wasn't even woken up, and Sung carried his sleeping body bridal style to the Firebird. Kaladi and Knives volunteered to find something edible while Cathori made the final preparations.

Joe was sitting on top of the firebird as the two gatherers returned. Knives was holding an armful of apples, and Kaladi had a dead rabbit. It wasn't the biggest breakfast, especially since there was no way to cook the meat at short notice so Kaladi was left to eat it himself. However, the apples were crisp and tangy, und undoubtedly grown by the Dryads. Joe felt more awake after just a few bites of the fruit.

Sung finished his apple quickly, and looked to Jack. "We should plant the seeds. The Dryads will appreciate it."

Jack still had some edible flesh on his apple, but nodded, mouth too full to speak.

"Let's plant them where we had to stop yesterday. The soil will be churned and easy to manipulate further. Come on, we have a few minutes before Cathori is going to leave." Sung jumped off, walking over to the pair of large indentations in the ground. Jack followed, with just the core of his apple left as well.

Sung used the Caledtorrwd to gouge a hole in the earth. It was a little wide, but it meant the core could be planted at a reasonable depth.

Jack reached for the club "Hey, can I borrow that? It takes ages to get dirt off my armour, especially since we've got limited water."

"Of course. Be wary of the weight, Caledtorrwd was not meant to be for everyone." Sung offered Jack the handle, and Jack took the weapon, dealing with the mass of iron and steel surprisingly well. He drove it into the ground a few metres away from Sung, and created a slightly shallower hole. He dropped his apple core into the hole and kicked some of the stray dirt over it until the hole wasn't too prominent.

Sung placed his apple core at the bottom, and brushed soil into his hole. He picked up his clubsword and put it back on his belt, turning to leave. As he and jack began to walk, he saw a dryad from the corner of his eye. It wasn't clear to him whether the Dryad had seen them planting the apples, but he shrugged it off. It probably wouldn't mean too much, in the end.

* * *

As soon as the realm changed, Sung resumed teaching the chant to the group. It was mainly a five part harmony, but an extra two people needed to help occasionally. Sung and Sandy had the clearest, strongest voices, much to Li-Yen's surprise when Sandy made her dragon mask and amplified her voice.

Joe had developed a powerful voice over time, due to his constant commands on the battlefield. Jack and Knives were no slouches either, each able to fulfil their roles. The two backup voices for a small portion of the song were Cathori and Tom, leaving Li-Yen, Kaladi and Autumn to keep everyone's voices from getting too sore as they practiced. Autumn was carefully rationing out water to each singer, reserving enough to make it through a few days if they were unlucky and couldn't find any. Li-Yen became an honorary driver of the Firebird ("Okay, just hold down this pedal, use the wheel to turn, and if we have to stop push that button"). Kaladi had to heal everyone's throats a few times once they became raw. As it turned out, bio swarm did not taste good.

They stopped at a small butcher's shop, from Tristram. It was one of the newest buildings they'd seen in weeks, but it wasn't enormously well-stocked. Most of the meat hooks were empty, and the display counter only had a few different meats. A string of sausages and some bacon were found inside a storage box that was charmed to be cold, and Joe had the group prepare a small fire and cook the meat.

"We're possibly going to be gone from this place by tonight. We may as well have a good last meal to remember the world we grew up in." He said, as he held the makeshift bacon pan over the fire. It was just a sheet of metal with some wood at either end, but it worked just as well as a real frying pan. After just a few minutes, the bacon was sizzling and ready to be eaten.

The lunch was cheery and hopeful, even though talking was quietened by the constant singing of earlier. Joe brought out the sausages as everyone was finishing the bacon, and joined his group in the shared meal. He could feel their hope. He sat down next to Tom. "It's been quite a journey, hasn't it?"

"It's far from over. We're going to be a lot closer to your… no, our goal. We all want to find them, you just made it possible." Said Tom.

"This is a major milestone. I'm… I think I'm going to miss this place. It's all I've ever known." Admitted Joe.

"Yeah, it'll be weird when we have to look at the same scenery for a long time. Say, Joe. How are you feeling, in terms of stress? I worry that Knives is wearing you out." Said Tom quietly, glancing at Knives.

Joe considered Tom's question. "Well, I barely think about it anymore. I think there was a moment when I just… adapted to being a leader. I don't think about what I should be doing, I do it and then think about whether I should be doing more. Still, it can be a bit scary keeping her from picking fights. I don't want to deny her everything she asks, but if there's one thing she could honestly use, it's the ability to actually consider the effects of her actions. But, I can't really complain. She's loyal, and she listens to reason."

Elsewhere, Jack was talking to Kaladi. "So… Kaladi, did you find out how you were actually born? It might help me work out how I exist?"

"Well… no. But… I know it must have been… my zerg parent that allowed me to be born. Faerie dragons were meant to be… impossible to change greatly." Kaladi said.

Jack frowned "See, it's even more confusing for me. The Protoss are almost legendarily incompatible with other races. Even the zerg couldn't copy anything from them. And since neither of my parents could use magic to bend those rules, how do I even exist?"

"I could… check you for… any hints? Surely there would be some kind of… indication if your body… was outside the normal." Offered Kaladi.

"How? You don't have much knowledge of human or Protoss anatomy."

"I could… taste your blood. See some… parts of your essence without taking. Compare to pure-bred terran's essence? Maybe Cathori's?" Kaladi unfolded his fangs.

Jack scooted back. "Uhh, maybe I'll have Tom check externally first. And don't you use those to inject poison?"

"They remain clean. The venom is… removed by my mouth. Or I could… grow new ones?"

Jack's face became a _What._

Joe stood up "Okay, everyone, lunch is over. We're going in five minutes! Don't leave anything you need behind!"

Knives had been practicing her agility on top of a roof, and yelled "Five minutes, Commandface McShouty! I just need to finish my workout, I'm not going to be able to sit still until then!"

* * *

The group reached the town hall without any further interruption. There were only a few weak bodies to oppose their advance, and the chasing silver had yet to show itself again. Either it was dead, or smarter than the average enemy, but Joe didn't want to give himself false hope that he was free of it. He was just thankful that it meant everyone could practice the song. His part was firmly recorded in his head, just as Sandy, Jack and Knives had committed their own sections to memory.

Cathori looked out over the changing lands, in between rehearsals. "You know, I've never really had a chance to appreciate all this space. I was always just focusing on driving."

Joe shuffled over to be beside her. "Your driving was instrumental. None of us have your level of technological know-how, not even Tom. You basically made it possible for us to arrive to each battle refreshed."

"Maybe. I think I just want to appreciate this universe. Hey look, the mountain over there has faces carved into it!" Cathori pointed to a somewhat distant mountain range, the side of which had four important-looking people immortalised.

Joe considered the mountains, as the scenery began to change again "I wonder which universe those were from."

"I'm not sure, but look at this place too! Grey trees with white leaves, black grass… It's like we found a world drawn in pencil! It's all so much better now that I can focus on it!" Cathori exclaimed.

"It is… You know, this reminds me of the first conversation I had up here, with Tom. What are you going to do after we succeed?" Joe said.

"Wow, that's, uh, quite a question… um, well, what about my mechanical skill? I could build some really cool things if I had an easier time gathering the resources." Replied Cathori.

* * *

They reached the town hall as the sun was beginning to set. A light breeze was blowing over the ruins of the once-more important building. It had clearly taken the lightning strike that shattered the world. Although the front of the building bravely remained standing against the elements, the central section had been completely obliterated from above. Cathori brought the Firebird to a gentle stop, having resumed control a few hours prior. The group looked at the structure in silence. Sung was the one to break the spell. "We should go inside." The words seemed to echo, and Sung's voice was smaller than it had ever been before.

Fear was rampant among the group, but Joe didn't let himself falter. He knew that as the leader, it was his task to set an example, to guide and embolden the others.

Everyone walked into the ruins. Cathori Put the Firebird into walker mode and stepped in through one of the two missing walls.

The hall might have been a pretty place in the past. An ornate building in white and gold, kept warm and friendly by the constant contributions of the community. Now it was just a pale reminder of the past. There were photos on the walls that the rain had blurred long ago, and the white paint was cracking and yellowing under the elements. The sky overhead was an endless, uniform sea of grey. It was as if The Shattering had done more than tear apart the town's location. It had both physically and metaphorically been meant to kill it. Joe stood in the middle of the room, where the rusted remains of a desk still stood. He quietly brushed the dusk off one of the small metal plaques on the front of it.

'Jaina Proudmoore-Raynor'

"This was my mother's." Joe said simply. Everyone else looked to him. "I don't think there's much more to say here. But… we're going to find them. No matter what else. No matter what else we hope for, no matter how we struggle, and how hard it is, we're going to see them again. Sung, it's time. Let's put on a show for gods. A show for our parents."

The children gathered round in a circle. Joseph gave the small plaque a look, and slipped it into his pocket. Sung began the chant.

Joe and Sandy joined in. Their voices resonated with the area, strange and long-idle powers stirring.

Jack and Knives added their voices to the chorus. It was unlike any of the practice they had done, the song gaining hundreds of additional, subtle layers as it dispersed throughout the dimensions.

Cathori and Tom came in, and Joe could feel a great warmth spread through the room. He could feel everyone, as if they were all connected in their souls. His hope, Tom's strong life force, Cathori's mechanical talent, Autumn's loyalty, Jack's unnatural potential, Kaladi's unique essence, Sung's divine voice, Sandy's draconic heritage, Knives' burning need for vengeance, And Li-Yen's deep emotions.

And each member of the group had power radiating from their body.

The space inside their ring began to crackle. Joe didn't break the song, and neither did anyone else. Even the three non-singers were drawing out their hidden power, giving the song magical strength to be heard across worlds.

The crackling became a storm. Blue lightning arced around the room, a whirlwind of destruction. The sky above broke its uniformity, and it too started to charge up.

The song reached its greatest point. Lightning struck once more, just as it did fourteen years ago.

But this time, the world didn't shatter. Rain began to fall from the sky, and the space between the heroes was changed. It glowed with an almost tangible light, and a ray of sunlight in the storm glared down, illuminating the rain. The ray of sun became more intense, localised to just the small circle in the storm. Each raindrop it hit was blinding, but Joe kept singing with closed eyes. The song was nearly finished, and he wasn't going to slip now.

The last notes left the choir.

And then they disappeared, just as their parents did.

 **Author's notes: In case anyone is wondering, the song the group performs is the Heroes of the Storm main theme, but as an acapella. You can probably find it on youtube if you haven't heard it. And also, the next chapter will be much longer and take a while to come out, because I'm not going to just send the kids on a linear tour of the battlefields like the previous generation.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: A war among gods

The group were unceremoniously dumped into an old, rural town. Joe looked around. The settlement had clearly seen better days. The houses were all damaged and hastily repaired, and the stones of the pathways had scars of battle on them.

"Everyone, are you alright? We need to find the lord of this place, and soon." Said Joe, checking his party. Everyone seemed a little tired from the transfer, but there were no injuries. A ragged, thin woman poked her head out of a window, trying to look at them unseen, but unfortunately for her Joe was already looking at where she appeared. "Wait! We need directions!" Joe called.

The woman leaned fully out of her window with a scowl "If you're looking for the lord of this place, then you're probably one of those people sent to kill him! Begone, before I call the town guards on you!"

"That won't be necessary." Drawled a new voice. The woman was back inside her house in under a second.

The group looked over the newcomer. A thin man with oily black hair, and a strikingly pale face. His eyes were as cold as hopelessness, and he carried a silver cane topped with a raven's head. "I am the Raven Lord, your current… benefactor. You put on quite the display earlier."

Joe stood perfectly straight, and offered a handshake. "Joseph Raynor, at your service. I'm searching for our parents, so I was wondering if you had any information you could give me. I can offer services, if you wish, but I have no form of currency."

The Raven Lord accepted Joe's hand. "Well, how refreshing. Someone who actually _offers_ me something for my knowledge. Much better than some of these townsfolk. Bring your group with me. We have much to discuss." The Raven Lord turned sharply on his heels, and began walking away. The children scrambled to follow.

The Raven Lord led them to his mansion, on the outskirts of the town. Unlike the derelict and damaged buildings of the town, the mansion was a pristine fortress. Each wall was plated in tough-looking slate and warded so strongly that even the non-magical members of Joe's team could feel it. The windows were tinted a deep black, and they along with the doors were traced with runes. The building was more intimidating than most people. The Raven Lord brushed the doors open with his hand, as if they weighed nothing. "Come in, guests. I have some tasks to be completed." Called the lord.

* * *

Inside the mansion was predominantly mahogany wood. Mahogany tables and mahogany flooring. Mahogany banisters with mahogany carvings. A few candles served as lighting for the area, each in its own candlestick. A few expensive rugs were used as centrepieces for rooms. Joe emerged in a dining room. The table –mahogany of course- looked able to seat sixteen people, seven per side with one important looking seat at each end. "Now, before we get down to business, just who are your parents? It would not do me any good to send the wrong people to complete this task. Especially in this war, resources are far more valuable." Said The Raven Lord, from his seat at the head of the table.

"War, sir? Do the bodies threaten you as well? And our parents are the heroes of old, who disappeared fourteen years ago. I am the son of James Raynor and Jaina Proudmoore." Asked Joe.

The Raven Lord smiled a thin smile "Yes, there is currently a great war. If your group are as they claim, then you will be invaluable assets to us. Now, I will propose you three choices. Make the right one. Firstly, you can choose to have no part in this war. I will grant you no aid, and you will have to remain here in the event that you are inclined to leave and possibly help our enemies. It will mean you have to become members of my town. Secondly, you could choose to help me indirectly, as I can see several powerful mages are travelling with you. My soldiers require equipment, and forging armour to be effective against both science and magic is no simple task. Do that, and I'll tell you where your parents are once I have won the war. Or, my personal favourite option: fight for me. As the spawn of the heroes, I'm sure that all of you have great combat prowess. Win the war for me, and I'll take you to your parents. Discuss amongst yourselves. I am not an unreasonable being."

Joe glanced across the table, looking for Autumn. He was certain that his group were far above average in terms of combat, but in a war even the hardiest could fall. Where was she? _She must have slipped away to check something_. Joe decided. "I favour combat. We're all stronger than normal, so it should be the most reliable way to find our parents. Everyone, what do you think?"

Knives slapped a hand on the table "I think I want proof we can trust you, Raven Lord. But yeah, fighting is easy."

The Raven Lord raised an eyebrow at Knives "A little uncouth, aren't you? Nonetheless, I can show you the love my people hold for your parents. I would simply send you to them now, but unfortunately the realm where it's possible to do such a thing is currently closed. None can enter."

Cathori spoke "I, I will fight. Or I'll build. But I'm not going to stand idle in the search for our parents. I think I'm in favour of option three."

There was general agreement "Okay, it's settled. We will fight. Where are you sending us, Raven Lord?" Said Joe.

"Excellent. First, a simple test of loyalty, in the event that you're spies, as unlikely as that is. You are to bring me the skulls of five grave golems." Said the Raven Lord.

"Grave golems, sir?" Said Joe.

The Raven Lord smiled a little more "Ohh, very good. Either you're an amazing spy or you really are from the world I can't reach. Grave golems are exceptionally powerful golems created to attack my realm, by the leader of the enemy forces, the Gravekeeper. He is a very powerful necromancer, a vertible master of death magic. His forces, skeletal warriors and grave golems continuously assault my people. I use my own armies as a master of shadow magic to repel them, but it is difficult to ensure a full defence. Nonetheless, the golems are very costly to construct, as each requires three heavily enchanted skulls merely to function. Losing five would be a disaster for the Gravekeeper's forces in my realm. Why, I might even be able to drive him from this place if he suffered a loss like that!"

Tom spoke "Right. When do we strike, and where do we strike? We'll need any details you can offer about the target location."

"The Gravekeeper's base in my realm is far to the west, where there are no angles from which I can send an army. A frontal assault would crush them, but it would cost me dearly. But you… well, you are all unknowns to them. They would allow you to get close. Once you're inside, you should be able to silence the alarms with your magic, and then destroy the golems. You strike at midnight, when my powers are at their greatest and our foes' minds are dullest." Said The Raven Lord.

"Very well. Before we make preparations, I would like to know the current state of the war. You never know when that kind of information could save a life." Said Sung.

"Gladly. I currently stand with a total of four allies; Lady Nightshade, The Spider Queen, Beleth, and The Commodore. Respectively, a nature magician, an arachnid summoner, an immortal warrior, and a naval commander. Their forces are largely occupied with the defences of their own realms, but I have no doubts that you'll fight alongside them at some point. And opposing me, I have The Gravekeeper, The Lady of the Shire, Ka, Doctor Cook, Blackheart and Llarian. A necromancer, a fallen princess, a mad god, a scared scientist, a pirate and a corrupted angel. We hold the advantage of travel and resources, thanks to the Commodore, but our enemies are always waiting to strike at our supply chain. If our foes are given a chance they will take it, so remember- no mercy, heroes."

* * *

Autumn was fleeing. Her cloaking device kept her hidden from the naked eye, and she was trying with all her heart to ignite some kind of hidden psionic power or magical gift she had to make her magically invisible too, because getting caught now would be worse than death. She recalled the words written in a letter, a copy of which was now saved to her laptop.

'Raven Lord, the children approach your grasp. Your realm is the easiest to take them to, so be on high alert for their signal. DO NOT allow them to ally with the Gravekeeper. Once you have them, dispose of them. They cannot learn the truth of your past actions. They will likely arrive at midday, when you are weakest. Be ready to stall them until night, when you can effectively fight them. Signed, The Commodore'

Autumn kept running. She knew that finding her would be a simple matter of using the correct spell if she couldn't think of something. And she had to get the information to Joe without alerting the Raven Lord. It was currently three o'clock. Dusk would fall at seven, and at midnight the Raven Lord would stab everyone in the back. _If I could just reach Li-Yen's mind!_ Autumn furiously thought to herself. But she didn't have the magic needed. And going near the Raven Lord now risked fighting him at his seat of power, his house. Even at midday, Autumn had no doubts he was at full power when within his home. The whole building radiated darkness.

She sat down against a tree, and let her stealth flicker out. She needed a plan, and she knew it. Time to think logically. Her goal was to prevent the Raven lord from killing anyone. There were no rules about how she could do that.

Step one would be to reduce the group's danger. So, that meant either telling Joe to come away from the house, or finding a way to show him the letter.

Step two would be finding a safe area to meet up. Far away from the Raven Lord's mansion, and protected from any long-range magic strikes.

Step three would be either fighting the Raven Lord or escaping him. Simple enough.

Autumn decided to check the town. There was a good chance she could find some information while invisible.

* * *

The local tavern was a depressingly mouldy building. Whoever owned it clearly didn't have either the time or the money to repair it, or maybe the Raven Lord owned it and just didn't care. Still, the town's workforce had to relax somewhere, and nowhere was better. Autumn was fully visible, but by remaining absolutely still and silent, and covering her body suit with a cloak she'd fashioned from a couple of old burlap sacks that were lying around, and some slight dirt worked into her face as though she were a farmer, she may as well have been invisible. She looked just as mildewed and gloomy as the rest of the town.

Chatter flowed freely around her, men all agreeing how much they hated the stress of the war, women discussing when cotton would be available again. Nothing of use, until Autumn identified the woman who'd first seen the group when they entered the realm. She focused on her conversation.

"Well, the lord can't be up to anything good with them. But maybe if he wins this war we can go back to normal, justice be damned. I just want it to be over."

"Careful, we both know he has ears everywhere. And he is a better lord than his predecessor. He treats us as though we're potentially valuable workers, rather than dirt. It's better than his father ever did."

"Oh, Old Antsu. He was a bad one. Still, I'm sure there must be a better life out there than this. If only there were a way to just… reach it."

Autumn walked over "Afternoon." She sullenly greeted, feigning tiredness.

"Afternoon, dear. Not here to tell me that I'm in for it, are you?" the first woman asked.

"No, ma'am. I've come to ask a question. It could help a lot of us out." Said Autumn.

"What is it, young one? The times call for unity, so I'll do my bit."

"I was wondering if you knew any magic users in the town." Asked Autumn.

The other woman entered the conversation "That would be me. Dorothy, seamstress turned enchantress. What do you need?"

"I have a friend in the Raven Lord's mansion, but they were supposed to be meeting me here ten minutes ago. Since they're a very powerful magician, I was wondering if you had some way of calling to them?" Autumn had done her best to copy the accent of the townspeople, and their mannerisms, such as holding her hands together when speaking.

"Well, I'll give it a try, but if the Lord has business with her then she'll be there until he's done speaking. What are they called, oh, and what should I say to them?" Dorothy said.

"Their name is Sandy. Tell them that Autumn needs them to come and meet her, and that she'll be waiting. Make sure they bring my other friends."

Li-Yen was studying a battle map when she heard Dorothy's voice. 'Hello? You're the most powerful magic user in the castle, so I assume you're the one? Your friend Autumn needs you to come and meet her, she'll be waiting. Make sure you bring your friends!'

Li-Yen looked over the table. Autumn was missing. Joe, Tom, Jack, Knives and Cathori were all in a different room, speaking with the Raven lord, but she was sure nobody else was with them. Not wanting to interrupt Joe's conversation, she said "Autumn wants me to come to her, and bring my friends. Will you guys come with me? I'm sure Joe'll be fine, I'll leave him a note."

Sung nodded "This shadowy room doesn't agree with me. I'll come with you. In fact, we could all take a break from this continuous strategizing. No sense in wearing down our minds before a battle. Come, Sandy, Kaladi."

Li-Yen hastily scribbled a note and left it on the table 'Gone outside to take break and meet Autumn'.

* * *

Autumn's heart froze and sank at the same time as only four of the group crested the hill. She became visible directly in front of them, once she was sure they were out of range of the Raven Lord's power. "Where are the others?!" Autumn said to Li-Yen.

Li-Yen was taken aback by Autumn's panic "They're inside with the Raven Lord. What's wrong? Where have you been?"

Autumn gritted her teeth "The Raven Lord is planning to backstab us. While you were meeting him, I slipped away to check his house, in case there was anything inside that made him untrustworthy, and I found this letter." She showed the others the incriminating message. "I was hoping if you could all leave at once then we could all coordinate an attack against him or escape him, but now the Raven Lord will know something's wrong. If he attacks Joe unexpectedly, then there's no way Joe could win. What do we do now?"

Sung frowned "This is bad. If he wants us dead then the chances are we should be siding with the Gravekeeper, or at least we shouldn't be helping him. Do you have a plan? You are Joe's second in command, and I will follow you."

"We must get Joe and the others out of there immediately. Once he suspects that we're onto him, he'll strike. So… we need to either get Joe out, or give the Raven Lord a more pressing matter than Joe." Concluded Autumn.

Li-Yen jumped "I have a plan."

* * *

Joe was entering the room with the battle plans. A neatly written piece of paper was on the table, from Li-Yen. He took one look and folded the paper into his pocket. He started sweating. If Autumn couldn't meet him here, that meant there was probably a very good reason not to be here. "Everyone… should we take a break? I think we should try and focus before going into battle." He said.

"Sure thing! Looks like Li-Yen's already gone out, anyways." Said Jack. Joe flinched.

The Raven Lord wasted no time tapping his cane on the floor. The room's doors immediately swung shut, the windows latched themselves and the candles extinguished. "So sorry, but that was quite the mistake Mr. Oxton." The Raven Lord drawled.

Joe couldn't see a thing, but reflexively tried to strike the Raven lord with the butt of his rifle. This saved Joe's life, as it deflected the incoming projectile: A giant feather. It was easily the size of Joe himself, and knocked the rifle out of his hands. It clattered to the floor, while the feather embedded itself in the wall.

Jack leapt in to defend Joe, attempting to fight the Raven lord one-on-one. As his fist collided with the Raven Lord's body, the body dissolved into smoke. Another feather shot from the darkness, dealing hefty damage to Jack's shields.

Tom took his turn, the removal cannon illuminating the room briefly. What he saw horrified him: Nothing. No Raven Lord, and no exit options. Joe dived for his rifle, inspecting it for damage. Aside from a dent on the back, it looked fine.

"Everyone, we have to get out of here. Focus on the window, it offers the most direct path out!" Joe commanded. Another feather shot from the darkness, and found it's mark in Cathori's arm. She screamed, before Tom pulled out the feather with a deadly calm composure and healed the wound in one motion. He was a brutally efficient medic, responding to each member of the group as they were attacked. Priority went to Jack and Joe, who were doing the most to break the window. The glass was chipping, but not fast enough. Knives was trying to knock feathers out of the air by slashing them, and to her eternal credit was stopping at least half of the attacks until she was unlucky and a feather caught her in the chest, winding and slightly impaling her. Tom removed the feather and healed the wound, but it was deep enough to linger.

Suddenly, the room re-lit. Tom was blinded for a moment, and in that moment one last feather shot from the corner of the room, catching him in the stomach, and pushing all the way through. He crumpled to the floor.

"TOM!" Joe caught him as he fell, assessing the damage. The feather had pierced his back. Removing it would kill Tom from blood loss before his suit could even activate.

"Don't worry Joe, I'm not finished. Cut the bit that sticks out off, I'll worry about removing it later. I think it got my spine. I can't feel a thing. Or maybe it's adrenaline?" Tom smiled.

Joe looked ready to explode in protest that 'You have been impaled in a likely fatal manner, how are you so calm?!', but he swallowed the words and shouted "KNIVES! Cut the end off this thing! Jack! Break that window now! It's chipped already, just break through!"

Knives made one fluid motion to remove the end of the feather, as Jack pummelled the window. Feathers were no longer incoming, and Joe was glad for that. Joe slung his rifle over his shoulder, and hoisted Tom off the floor. Jack was drumming the window with enough force to spread cracks, until eventually a small chunk fell out. He worked quickly, breaking larger shards off where they were weak. He saw outside, and hesitated "Uh, Joe? We have help!"

* * *

 _A little earlier_

Li-Yen was explaining her plan "We're going to summon the armies of the Gravekeeper. I know the general direction of their base, so if they have a powerful enough mage in a position of power, I can just warp them all here with their help. And since we're important enough to get special attention from our enemies, we should be important enough to get special attention from our allies." Li-Yen placed her fingers on her temples and focused 'Can you hear me, I repeat, Gravekeeper forces can you hear me? This is the heroic children. We need your help!'

A response came through instantly 'This is the Gravekeeper speaking. Good thing all the corpses underground boost my power here, hm? Now, where are you and your allies, we'll warp you to us.'

'Four of us are with me on the outskirts of the town, but the other five are trapped in the Raven Lord's mansion. He's trying to kill them! I need to warp any forces you have to me so I can provide a distraction for them!'

The response was delayed 'I have no doubt you are as you say, but this leaves our base unguarded. If the Raven Lord realises this, I will lose my only hold in this realm.'

'If you don't help, then we'll do it ourselves! We don't have any more time!' Li-Yen automatically began the spell to summon anything sent her way, expecting nothing, and was amazed as at least two hundred fully armoured skeleton warriors and two grave golems appeared.

'That's all I can spare. Don't fail, mage!' Echoed the Gravekeeper's voice.

Sung stepped up and yelled "Warriors! Arrange into formation! March forward!".

The army responded like two hundred puppets on the same strings. In less than ten seconds the force was advancing on the Raven Lord's mansion.

"Okay, troops! Forward! Left side, take the rear approach! Main body, the doors! Right side, converge on the weak window! Sandy, Li! help the main body! Kaladi, push in from the back! Autumn, focus on the weak point! Now, frontal troops, CHARGE!" Sung drew the Caledtorrwd and barrelled towards the doors of the mansion.

The Raven Lord's countering forces arrived. Shadowy warriors appeared in groups of six to defend the house, each group biting into the skeleton forces. Li-Yen electrified them as fast as they appeared, and the armies continued to advance. The mansion began crackling with energy, and started firing bolts of magical energy randomly into the battlefield. Sung swatted one away with Caledtorrwd and continued his charge. He reached the doors and smashed the lock from them with one blow.

As this was occurring, Autumn was helping the five members of the group who'd been trapped climb out through the window. She was horrified to see Tom's injury, even as he shrugged.

Sandy walked over "I was wondering how that vision would come to pass. Relax, Tom. I'm going to slow down your time." She said, placing a hand onto Tom's forehead, and watching as his eyes blinked slowly. "That charm will only last a short while. We must find a way to heal him." Sandy said gently, before re-summoning her armour and serenely walking back into the raging battle.

Joe was looking at the fight in awe, and took over Sung's command position. "Left forces, retreat! The house defences are going to overwhelm you. Right forces! Integrate with the central body! Center forces, move Li-Yen back and Sandy forwards!" He shouted, watching as each section of his army responded. He glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, the entirety of the Raven Lord's armies were descending on this position, and they would arrive in just a few minutes if they were lucky. It was like a giant black noose tightening around the hill where he stood.

"Li-Yen, prepare to warp us out! We cannot remain here! Kaladi! Heal the forces that are supporting the golem! Sung! NO, SUNG, PULL BACK!" Yelled Joe. Sung was far inside the mansion, possibly out of range of Li-Yen's mass teleport.

Joe charged in. Li-Yen didn't see, and kept channelling her spell.

The army disappeared, and Joe and Sung were left alone. Joe noticed his army disappear, and his heart simultaneously sank like a stone and reappeared in his mouth. He kept on going after Sung.

* * *

Autumn appeared in an unfamiliar place. It seemed to be a quarry, where the land had been dug out to form a large underground base. The skeletal army was nowhere to be seen.

Everyone listened. But the phrase they were waiting for didn't come. Where was Joe? He should be saying 'Is everybody alright?', Now, shouldn't he?

Autumn sprung to her feet, checking over the group. No Joe. No Sung. And a plethora of serious injuries. She did the only thing left for her to do. "Help! My friends need HELP!" She shouted, as loudly as possible.

Her cries were answered as an old man walked around the corner. He had a dusty suit, a tophat far beyond repair, and a grim face.

"Help has arrived, heirs."

* * *

It was easy enough to trace Sung's path of destruction by the weapons that were shattered or the fragments of armour that were left behind. Joe kept running, until he emerged inside a large ballroom.

Sung was duelling the Raven Lord, and it was not a fair fight. The Lord had sprouted wings and was hovering out of Sung's range, continually bombarding him with feathers, while Sung attempted to leap off the walls to swat at the Raven Lord. Joe wasted no time levelling his rifle and sniping the Raven Lord in the right wing.

The bullet, despite its enchantment, did an underwhelming amount of damage. While it would have ripped a natural, biological raven's wing to pieces, the Raven Lord's wings were neither. However, the frost of the shot caused him to dip out of the sky for just long enough that Sung could catch him in the shin with a powerful blow. The Raven Lord was unfazed, dropping completely to the floor and lauching a volley of feathers in both directions. Sung twisted his weapon to deflect the majority, while Joe moved his arm over his eyes and was knocked to the ground, dozens of smaller feathers stuck in his front. Sung's duel continued, but it was clear he was wildly outmatched. The Raven Lord was no longer bothering to give off the illusion Sung was powerful enough to injure him, and was knocking away the Caledtorrwd's strikes with his own cane, that didn't even show signs of wear.

The Raven Lord struck Sung in the chest hard enough to send him flying back, before laughing a little. "A good effort. But so very, very weak." He brought his cane down overhead, and Sung raised the Caledtorrwd to block it. The weapons met, and the Caledtorrwd snapped in two, the cane striking Sung in the face.

Joe lunged. He knew his magic wasn't even going to register against the Raven Lord, technology backing it up or not. But when all else fails, trying can still yield results. Joe grabbed the Raven Lord's arms, and yanked him off balance. Sung was unconscious on the floor, but that made Joe's split-second plan easier. Joe put all the energy he had into one quick spell: Warp. Sung's unconscious form disappeared. The Raven Lord flung Joe across the room, and he crashed into a corner. Joe tried to get up, but he couldn't. He'd burned away his physical energy with the warp spell as well as his mental energy. His mind was clouded, and his body was near comatose. Joe couldn't even hear what the Raven Lord said next.

 **Author's notes: And now for the third and final arc of the story, the war of the lords. It's going to be messy, to say the least.**

 **Lucario: Unfortunately, it seems the doctor is unavailable right now.**

 **SkullyPirate: As you may have seen last chapter, it was the main theme! And I'm not sure what you define as good, but welcome to the battles I've been waiting for.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: A part of a soul

Autumn was almost ready to collapse "You, please get them medical attention. I'll help." She pointed at the Gravekeeper.

The Gravekeeper strode up to the group. "Oh, my… death approaches you all. We'd best change that. Tell me their injuries, heir. I will send them to appropriate places to be treated, with my magic."

"Tom's been impaled. We've slowed down his time, but once it runs out he's in trouble. Cathori's got nothing worse than a torn sleeve. Jack's hands are sore. Kaladi is exhausted. Sung… I think Sung has been left with Joe. Sandy is exhausted. Knives is exhausted. Li-Yen has completely burned out her mana reserves." Listed off Autumn.

There was a crackling sound, and Sung appeared on the floor, barely conscious. "Help…" He wheezed.

Autumn scowled and looked over him "Multiple blunt injuries. No bones are broken. Concussion."

The Gravekeeper considered all this "Tom and Sung are going to be sent to Braxis. The rest of you need to retreat to the haunted mines. The Raven Lord's forces descend, and they're looking for you." He waved a hand, causing the group to disappear.

* * *

Tom was lying on the back of a futuristic operating table. "Hey, Doctor Cook… how bad is the damage?"

Cook was leaning over Tom with extreme care "Don't talk. If I could've, I'd have sedated you, and it's a good thing we had anaesthetic, because otherwise I couldn't have operated. Adjutant! Bring me the 17 system!" An Adjutant dropped from the ceiling, holding a tiny white device.

Cook held it forwards for Tom to see. "This is my greatest invention. The 17 system. It acts like a new organ, and continually causes nanomachines to flow through your bloodstream. I developed it to augment my security forces, but in this case, it will work in conjunction with your suit to heal you. However! You are going to pass out once the process begins. It will take huge amounts of your body's energy to start working, and more to fix the wound, even after I operated."

Tom stared forwards "Put it in. And if there's anything more you can do to make me more powerful, do it. I have to protect everyone, so I have to be strong."

"Understood." Said Cook.

* * *

Autumn was watching over Li-Yen. She'd used far too much mana in her last spell, that much was obvious. All Autumn could do was give her steady drinks of healing water. "Li-Yen, how do you feel? I'd like to check up on the others."

Li-Yen slowly sat up. All the heroes were resting in a cottage at Haunted Mines, but she was undoubtedly the one who needed it most. "My hands are still feeling burnt, but my head is better. I think I just need to sleep it off… and so do you. Autumn, how long have you been awake?"

"Twenty eight hours. I'm not sleeping until everyone else WILL survive. I'll be back shortly, would you like a ham sandwich or some tea?" Said Autumn.

"I just need some rest." Said Li-Yen.

The others were quiet. Autumn didn't say anything about the matter, but it was obvious they were all worried for Joe. Eventually Autumn reached Knives. Knives didn't seem even remotely tired anymore.

"He's going to pay. If I need more power to kill him, I'm going to get more power, cost be damned. Autumn, I'll be direct: tell me if you know anywhere I can find that power, because it'll save me time." Knives climbed out of her bed, ignoring bruises.

Autumn stared at Knives. "Ask the Realm lord. And remember Joe's words, you can do more by staying alive"

* * *

Joe opened his eyes. Or rather, he tried. They stayed firmly shut. He listened, but there was only silence. He tried to feel his heart beating. Nothing. _Oh, so… I died_. He thought. _This is a bit underwhelming. In fact...couldn't there be anything else here? Or at least the end of my consciousness. Wait… why did I die? I remember… I remember something. I remember… The Raven Lord. Right. Him. Well, let's see if there's any more I can do…_ Joe was having trouble concentrating, but he focused as hard as he could. Eventually, a picture formed in his vision. He could see his body, lying on the floor of The Raven Lord's ballroom. He could see the lord leaning over him, smiling thinly. Joe felt some kind of power nearby, a great power waiting to be claimed _. I'm not done yet._

Joe focused on his heart. He could feel his body's injuries. Broken bones. Shock. Magic damage. He decided he wasn't going to care. Hope remained, because he was still conscious. He was still able to influence the future. He felt the power with his mind, and absorbed it.

The Raven Lord stopped abruptly. The body of his foe was trembling. And suddenly, an intense aura of power flared up. The body was lifted from the floor, and dissolved into blue dust. And for the first time in fourteen years, the Raven Lord felt fear. Joe reformed behind him, and jumped through the window with a crash, ignoring the wards on the glass.

* * *

Sung was recovering quickly in physical terms. His skin had saved him the worst of the injuries. His pride was another matter. Only half of his treasured Caledtorrwd had come through with him, and it accurately represented how he felt: Snapped it two, with half missing. Cook came in carrying a mug of something that smelled lemony.

"Sung, how are you recovering? Your friends must be anxious to have you back." Said the scientist.

Sung thought about what to say. "Well, doctor… I failed everyone. No, worse. I was blinded by battle, and my most respected friend died to save me. If I'd just been stronger OR smarter, then everything would be okay, but now… Am I even worthy of being my parents' son?"

Cook sat down by the bed. "Well, I'm not an expert in encouragement… but I don't think anyone could expect you to be perfect. I can say, as a biologist that making progress is very often painfully difficult, and riddled with failure and ambiguity. So… if you need help making that progress, then I'll be keeping an eye on Tom. Don't give up, heir."

* * *

Knives walked up to the training grounds decisively. Rows of practice dummies were lined up. Knives slowly unsheathed her blades, inspecting the surface. A name was engraved into each. On the left, 'Hildia', and the right, 'Canas'. She stared at the second name. Rage reared up inside her, like boiling oil. She thought about Canas, and how even only a week or so after his death, she was already forgetting little things about her dead friend. What did his laugh sound like? What colour were his eyes?

Knives thought about Joe. He wasn't dead, and she knew it. He was just way too… heroic. Him falling in battle was unthinkable, the same way Knives knew that the heroes couldn't be dead. She felt hatred writhing inside herself, adding itself to the boiling rage she felt. She focused on her blades. _Why did Canas have to die?! WHY! HE DID NOTHING WRONG! NOTHING, YOU STUPID UNIVERSE!_

The blade caught fire. A deeply innerving shade of purple flickered around the metal, and the iron began to melt. Knives didn't care. She let her hatred completely consume her, and both her weapons were set ablaze. The iron evaporated. Knives' hands should have been turned to ash at that temperature, but it was her hatred. It was her power by blood.

Knives focused on what was left of her weapons. Ordinary metal wasn't good enough. Slowly, crystals began to grow around the smouldering ashes of the handles. Each resembled a rod of charcoal now, held together by nothing but demonic magic. The crystals spread around each handle, forming a pair of new blades. The charcoal became transparent, replacing itself with the offsetting purple crystal. The blades were regrown. The crystal seemed alive and intelligent, knowing where to grow to give strong cutting edges, and how to make a handguard that was able to take a direct shot from a sniper rifle. The growing process finished, and the blades were complete. If one looked into them, they could see the flames of Knives' emotions.

Knives collapsed to the ground. She would have thrown up, but her body didn't have the energy.

She heard a man approach. Smart but worn shoes, and the walking speed of someone past thirty…

"Well, when Sandy told me you'd be doing something important here, I never expected to find you turning the entire place into ashes." Said The Gravekeeper. "Hold still for a moment, I'll give you a regeneration globe." The Gravekeeper cupped his hands, and a yellow orb with a heart appeared in his hold. He placed it on Knives' semi-conscious body, which sucked it in.

Knives groaned and sat up, inspecting her new weapons. "That… was just a little… draining. Ugh, I'm pausing more than Kaladi." She sheathed the new blades.

The Grave keeper offered Knives a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Well, that was quite a display, I'd say. Took you a while to finish, I thought you'd never stop. He gestured to the area, most of the dummies were now little more than cinders.

"What, it's not like I was blowing stuff up for too long." Said Knives.

The Gravekeeper flipped open a scratched bronze pocketwatch. "It is now… two in the afternoon. You were staring at your weapon for a grand total of three hours. Anyhow, I have an important announcement to make, so come back with me. Once you're ready to admit you can't walk, tell me."

* * *

Sung walked into Tom's medical room. Tom was sitting up in the bed, carefully covering his stomach. "Oh, Sung, thank goodness. I've needed someone who knows less biology than I do, to feel smart again!"

Cook laughed, a sound somewhat like an awkward chicken. "You know more than I did at your age! Still, Sung, how can I help?"

Sung held out the remaining handle of the Caledtorrwd. "I want to forge a new weapon, and make it better than ever before. I want to use more than just iron, time and luck. Can you teach me how to use the art of science to do this?"

Cook smiled, and fixed his tie. "Well, let's see what an all-powerful mad scientist can do. To the lab!"

* * *

Joe sprinted across the fields, away from the mansion. He was sprinting like never before, almost supernaturally fast, and he didn't feel physically tired. If anything, it was costing him mana, but he could actually FEEL his mana regenerating. He felt… powerful. He didn't know where the Gravekeeper could be found, but he knew he didn't have long until the Raven Lord went to hunt him down. The sun was already setting. _Okay, will he come for me personally?_ Joe asked himself. _No, he wasn't the kind of being who would get his hands dirty without a very good incentive. So, that means he'll be sending those shadowy underlings he has._

Joe kept moving towards some plains. Fighting enemies in an area where they could naturally camouflage themselves in the darkness, like a forest or maybe the town would be inviting a second death. In the plains, there would be nowhere to hide, and it would just be a matter of being accurate with his rifle. _I really hope there's a bright moon tonight._

* * *

The seven less injured heroes sat around a hearth in the Gravekeeper's cottage. The Gravekeeper looked to each of them. "It's time I explained some things about your parents. And about what happened to them, all those years ago. A blink of an eye to me, but these years… I've felt like an old man. They've crawled by, slowly. Your parents cannot be dead. That I am sure of."

There were a few sighs of relief.

"But! They are trapped. And that is my fault. I sent them to a battle that was so far beyond unwinnable, it should have been unthinkable. If it were not for the abilities the nexus granted them, they would all have died instantly. And now, for what I have meant to explain. 'Hero' was not just a title indicating power or bravery to those of us in The Nexus. 'Hero' is a title used to describe someone who has received the power of a lord, and the powers have reacted with their being itself. This can have a lot of effects. It often altered abilities slightly, or dramatically in a few cases. It often made the recipient far harder to kill, boosting their natural healing and defensive might far beyond the rest of their species. But it consistently gave one truly incredible gift. The gift of immortality. No matter how they died, how many parts they were torn into, how many spells hit them, they would always revive after a short time."

Knives coughed into the back of her hand. "You're a lord. Can you cut to the chase and give me the good stuff now?"

The Gravekeeper shook his head. "No. There is a single requirement for the lord's powers to react with the powers of a potential hero. We must be completely satisfied seeing the potential hero as they are. Although I harbour no ill feelings towards any of you, all of you have flaws that I want you to overcome before becoming heroes, because of the nature of the transformation. Once you become a hero, your physical body and mental temperament will stop changing with time. If a ten year old were to become a hero, then although they might gain memories and experiences that change them as a person, they would never act fully mature as they would never undergo puberty. Thus, I wish for all of you to work out your major flaws before I set them in stone forever. Even though your minds will continue to grow with experience, your personalities will not evolve further."

* * *

Sung looked over the science lab. Dozens of projects littered the room, and scrap metal spilled out of several closets. "I want my new sword to be completely unbreakable. I want to be able to stop a charging army against it without so much as a scratch. Can you do this, doctor?"

Cook was rifling through chemistry books that were stacked in the corner "Well technically it would be impossible to forge something unbreakable, because the material would be impossible to shape, but the amount of metal needed will be relatively small compared to a vehicle, or even a chestplate. Also, I'm a Biologist mainly, I only did chemistry to degree-level. I may be a prodigy but I can't know everything."

Sung looked at the metals that cascaded from a supply closet. "Well, what is the very best you can do?"

"I think I have a good plan. You're obviously not too bothered by weight, since that sword weighed around eighty kilograms by my calculations and Tom's info. Sung, how much are you comfortable swinging as a weapon? I have two choices of metal." Said Cook, bookmarking a page with his thumb.

Sung grabbed a large pipe. "I have no… hyah!" He crushed the end of the pipe into a handle-like stick. "Idea how much a kilogram is. Master Long used ounces. But I'd say I could swing…" He gave the pipe a gentle wave "About eighty percent of this weight at full speed. Give me the whole thing, I'll train and adapt."

Cook held the pipe, and nearly fell over, dropping it to the floor in shock. "Goodness! That's about… one hundred and five kilograms there, since it's lead plated. You want to use a one hundred and five kilogram sword?! I think I know what to make it out of, then. We'll be using grade one, type four Neo-steel with a chromium infusion. The sword will come out at roughly one meter, since type four is absurdly dense thanks to the gravitic microcompression process. Do you want to know what it will be able to do?"

Sung picked up the pipe and put it back into the cupboard. "Yes. Please make sure I can understand this."

"Right. We normally only use type four as an external coating, because it weighs so much. It will dent instead of shattering, but honestly if something hits hard enough to dent more than the thinnest type four then the impact would break the floor in half. As long as your arms can take the blow, then you can stop anything with it. It would be able to cut steel for… let me work out the time here… about five months nonstop before there was any noticeable blunting of the weapon. That's fifteen months if you factor in things like eating, sleeping and breaks." Said Cook.

Sung frowned "Are there any downsides? And why not use this metal more often, if it's so good?"

"It has very, very high heat conductivity. Striking hot surfaces with this blade would quickly burn your own hands. And it is absurdly expensive to make. We have to force molecules of an already advanced and complex metal, neo-steel, into a much smaller space without allowing them to either join together or become unstable. The creation process uses so much energy that it makes the metal completely non-viable for mass production. Making enough for your sword will use roughly the same amount of energy it would take to make eight thousand, one hundred and ninety two times as much regular Neo-steel. If I didn't have nearly unlimited power nowadays, making this much of it would be a pipe dream." Doctor Cook rattled off the information without even a second glance at the book, turning to open a program on a computer.

* * *

Knives stared at the Gravekeeper "I need the heroic power. And I need it as quickly as possible."

The Gravekeeper crossed his arms "I cannot control what I perceive as mature. Knives, while you are physically strong, mentally you have a very long way to go before I would trust you with a life."

"Okay. One question then. Which lord gave each of my parents their power?" Said Knives quickly.

The Gravekeeper didn't reply for a while. "Most likely… Nightshade. She is completely insane and unpredictable, and always has been. The condition the potential hero is in doesn't really matter to her. And since I know why you're asking, I'll tell you now that you'll have a much easier time receiving your powers from Llarian. He only cares for the five virtues of the angels, so show him those for your powers."

Knives tapped her foot "Virtues? Angels? Look, I don't know if you noticed the whole thing I did earlier where I blew up the entire training area, or that both my parents were half-demons? What kind of virtues are you talking about?"

"Valor in battle. You have plenty of that. Justice. You fight to avenge your lost leader, don't you? Hope. None of you have given in to despair. Wisdom. You may be a little lacking in true experience with life decisions, but you can change that in just a few weeks. And Fate. Sandy can help you with that." Explained the Gravekeeper.

Jack raised a hand "What about the rest of us? Battles have suddenly grown so much more vicious… I think deaths are inevitable. And I'm not going to give up on seeing my parents."

Cathori chipped in "Yeah, during the earlier battle, I nearly died a lot of times. And I don't think people like us can sit out on this war. Gravekeeper, send us all to whichever lord you think will give us our powers fastest. Everyone, you agree with me, right?"

"Yes" Said Kaladi "I… think we must get this power. One being… can only do so much. One being an endless number of times… can do anything… through just tenacity."

Autumn's expression remained neutral "All in favour?" She raised her hand, as did everyone else.

The Gravekeeper looked over the room with mixed feelings. "Very well… but you're not going until tomorrow. The war will not be lost in a day, but if you go into battle unprepared then the results will be rather costly. I will leave you be, for now. I must oversee production of the mines." The Gravekeeper stood up and left the room.

* * *

Sung looked at the design drafted on the screen. Unlike the Caledtorrwd, this sword was perfectly uniform along each edge, and patterns of lines were planned to be engraved onto the blade. It was still a very heavy weapon, so much so that it was still almost a club, but now it was so refined and carefully laid-out that 'club' just didn't fit it anymore. Sung looked as Doctor Cook operated a giant chambered machine. He couldn't pretend to understand how it worked, but he could tell just by the dials on the side it was running near its maximum. He could see a scanner's image of some kind on a screen, and saw the handle of the sword was formed. He watched as slowly, the blade of the weapon was forged by gravity itself.

After what could have been either a minute or an hour, Cook turned off the machine. "It's done." He said, opening a door on the machine and looking at the weapon. The sword was a silvery colour, and Sung could tell just by looking at it that it was sharp enough to rend metal. There was a small blunt ring at the very hilt of the blade, so that it could still be sheathed. Sung reached in and picked it up. "It's incredible… but… It's not quite right yet, it needs one thing. I'll be right back, Doctor." Said Sung, walking from the room and leaving the weapon on a desk.

Sung found the handle of Caledtorrwd in his room. The cloth of the handle was still red, tied on by himself many years ago. Carefully, Sung picked at the knot he'd tied until the cloth unravelled. On the inside, the cloth was still a ruby red, and the words he'd written long ago were preserved. 'Caledtorrwd- Hardbreaker'. "How ironic…" he murmured. He grabbed a pen that had been left lying around, and turned his attention back to the strip. He slowly etched new words onto the fabric, a new name for a new weapon. 'Datrys- Resolve'.

Sung came back into the lab holding the scrap of cloth carefully. "I just need to give it a name. And I think I have a good one. How does Datrys sound, doctor?"

Doctor Cook eyed the cloth "It sounds good to me! Does it mean anything?"

"It does. But I think if I told you, then it wouldn't be nearly as mysterious, would it? Now… I name this blade Datrys, and I shall use it for good." Sung wrapped the handle of the sword in the cloth, and picked up the weapon. It was unbalanced, a massive weight that would need colossal strength to use with any form of skill. Perfect in Sung's eyes. He could already see attacks bouncing off it.

* * *

Shadows converged on Joe from every direction, but none got close. The Raven Lord was clearly not too concerned about Joe for some reason. _Why else would he send a force I can defeat alone?_ Joe thought. He was only walking across the plains, having to spin around to make many of his shots. He was almost unnerved at how easy this was. He wasn't anywhere near this level of skill or power before his death. It was as if he'd been granted all the experience he might accumulate over his entire natural lifespan, but at the age of seventeen and a half. And even then, he was having no problems conjuring masses of extra ammunition without getting even remotely tired. Even summoning his special elemental bullets was barely affecting him.

It felt like cheating, to gain so much power for just… getting back up.

* * *

Knives devoured her dinner faster than even Kaladi could have. It had been a beef stew, but honestly Knives didn't care. She needed every second she could get to plan. She returned to the sheets of paper she'd laid out on a table, checking over everything she'd worked out. She had four of the five virtues Llarian would want. Wisdom was a work in progress, as a pile of hastily read philosophy books could attest to.

She looked at the second sheet of paper, detailing where all the others would be sent to. Tom was to remain with Doctor Cook, Cathori would be going to meet him, Autumn would apparently get along with Ka, Jack would be staying here, Kaladi was still an unknown, Sung was unknown, Sandy would be sent to the Lady of the Shire, Knives was going to Llarian, and Li-Yen was also going to see the angel. "Hey, you guys. Do you need to sort any stuff out before we all split up and do incredibly stupid things? I'm trying to be wise here!"

Li-Yen sipped her glass of water "Technically, your offer is simply compassion. Wisdom would be looking at our individual plans and then finding flaws or things that we could do better."

"Fine, I'm on it! Don't interrupt me!" Said Knives, rifling through the stacks of paper. "Kaladi, do you have any idea what you're even going to do?!"

"No."

"Okay, I'll write you some plans and I'll try to make them wise and stuff! You're going to find out who let your parents be heroes! Sandy, where are we sending Sung?" Knives shouted.

Sandy was unperturbed. "Do not be concerned for Sung. I can see him returning shortly. And there is no need to shout, we are indoors."

* * *

Joe was sitting down, exhausted. Dawn was breaking and the shadowy forces of the Raven Lord were pulling back. Joe looked around. He was far from Ravencourt, but he could still feel the mansion's dark presence. It was as if it cast a shadow across the entire realm. _Speaking of the realm, where does it end? Is it possible to warp out?_ Joe decided to try his luck at warping to wherever he sent Sung, or in other words wherever his allies… _friends_ had gone to meet the Raven Lord's enemies. He was amazed to find just how much easier it was now. The previously expensive spell seemed to cost next to nothing.

He appeared in some ruins. Shadows swarmed over what might once have been a multitude of buildings and fortifications, surrounding Joe. It took him less time to realise the fort had been overrun than it did for him to level his rifle and begin fighting his way out.

 **Author's notes: So, the first of the children have ascended to heroes. If anyone wants to place guesses on what order the others will ascend (and whether they will or not), now is the time. Part of me is unsatisfied with this chapter, but the filler part of it is necessary, and also I'm not having a bloodbath every chapter**.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Conquestors

Sandy stepped into the Dragon Shire. The Lady was waiting for her, likely informed by the Gravekeeper.

Sandy bowed "I'm here to help, Ma'am."

The Lady of the Shire was still dressed formally, and held her head high. "Very good, young heir. What do you know of my noble land, and the wars it has seen? For currently we relive them."

Sandy straightened up. "I only know you fight against a lord called Nightshade. If I may ask, what has befallen your land?"

"I will tell you as I told your parents many years ago: Before I was a lord, my kingdom was almost overrun by fast-growing, aggressive plants. Even though my knights fought day after day, the plants were able to push us back, growing poisons and thorns in response to our attempts to stop them. Some even began to take a humanoid form to attack us. Then, there are two timelines. In my version of events, I reawakened the ancient dragons of this land to burn down the encroaching plants, and my kingdom was saved when they crushed the bulb the plants were growing from. But in my other self's version… I could not awaken the knights. Desperate to save my people, I sought out the bulb myself, and unable to destroy it I became one with it. I lost my mind, and took the name Nightshade, reducing my land to memory. The two of us are the same person after different choices. I must not allow my other self to destroy more, but I am no fighter. Heir, will you become my champion?"

Sandy knelt "Yes, Ma'am. I will fight for the sake of those I trust." Visions flashed through her mind. She was surrounded on all sides by the enemy, a dragon loomed over The Lady, and a desolate land with only three people in sight.

"Rise, champion." The Lady commanded "If your strength is similar to that of your parents, then I can win the war with your aid. Firstly, I must ask you to defend the outmost shrine of my lands. My forces will aid you, but they are currently defending other places, such as the capital city of my realm. I will send you now, if you are ready."

Sand nodded. "I am ready. But I wish to ask you a question, Ma'am."

"Speak."

Sandy brushed back her hood to reveal her horns. "I am partially descended from a dragon. Will this cause anything to happen if I travel to a shrine sacred to them?"

The Lady did not allow any hint of surprise to appear externally. "No. The shrines are better likened to… pockets in time. Dragons that became fighters, feeding on combat and unsuited for peace are sealed within, so that we may call on them once more. The dragons that did not seal themselves away are often poor fighters, instead turning their long lives toward art and magic."

"I have time powers. I mean, I can't travel through time but I can slow it and accelerate it." Sandy swirled some of the sand she was named after around her finger, to demonstrate.

"That could be an advantage. If you fail, it means you may at least have a way of escaping the sealed shrine. Are there any other powers that you possess?"

"I can change land somewhat, a gift inherited from my father. But I can only call upon the element of earth. I cannot create water, fire or air." Said Sandy.

The Lady nodded in acknowledgement "If that is all, I will send you to the shrine now. Do not allow it to become overgrown, for it is almost impossible to reclaim that which Nightshade grips." She waved a hand subtly, and Sandy disappeared.

* * *

Sandy looked around the area she had been sent to. A simple stone circle on top of a hill. In the centre of the circle was an altar topped with a symbol of a shield. Sandy could see a dense forest in the distance.

It was getting closer. It was getting closer alarmingly fast.

The Lady's voice played inside Sandy's mind. 'Champion, hear my voice. As the plants advance, they must put down roots to stabilise anything. To destroy one of the attacking plants, you must tear apart the roots. I am sure you can succeed. Hold out as long as you can, and do not fall.'

Sandy turned the surrounding lands to marsh. Acidic, inhospitable marsh even the bravest of farmers wouldn't attempt to get something out of. She made it into a ring around the altar roughly four metres wide before the plants were upon her. As the roots grew into her acid marsh in a matter of seconds, they died just as quickly, leaving the marsh just a little drier. Sandy quickly refocused more of her power into the weakened marsh, keeping it dangerous. It was a dangerous game of keeping defences shored up around the altar.

Sandy was losing her mana fast. It could only have been a few minutes but she could feel her reserves were empty, and her concentration was slipping as the spell began to take its toll. Forest surrounded her area densely, tree trunks in every direction. Sandy kept going. She could feel her energy running dry.

"I… need more power. I need the power a dragon would have to change the world, not an orc."

Sandy had an interesting thought. What if she tried transforming into a dragon? She'd often tried to fully transform into an orc to hide her horns and tail, if only for vanity, but never into a dragon. Well, now was the time to try a crazy thing like that.

Sandy stopped fuelling the marsh, to focus. She formed her sand armor around herself, the familiar mask comforting her. "Now… What if this was my normal face?" she said. She closed her eyes and calmly envisioned it. Her mask in bronze scales, with the yellow eyes and dramatic horns of her ancestors. She pictured a graceful bronze dragon, with perfect scales and wings, and enough mana to keep the shrine safe for weeks.

Sandy couldn't feel anything happening.

She felt a root creep over her foot, and reflexively stamped on it. She felt the root getting smashed to a pulp, as if she'd hit it with dozens of times more force than expected. She opened her eyes, to see how bad everything was.

On one hand, the altar was becoming overgrown. The roots were quickly encroaching on the stone, and it was obvious that it wouldn't be long before they covered the shield in the centre. Sandy still had only a tiny drop of mana left.

On the other hand, Sandy was now a three-metre tall bronze dragon. _I was really hoping managing something like that would refill my mana…_ She thought. She dived for the roots that were growing over her altar and scraped them off with her new claws, accidentally gouging out some of the stone in the process. She didn't have any experience doing this.

The process of keeping the marsh up with magical power was now a process of keeping the stone clear with physical power. Sandy discovered that claws can in fact go blunt if you keep raking the sharp parts against a rock. However she was still able to less efficiently hook them under vines and roots to rip them from the stone. Her hands were getting sore quickly.

The altar dimmed. Sandy flicked her head around to see this, but just as quickly was forced to turn her attention back to the ever-growing forest. She was tiring physically, having already used up some of her body's energy on spells, and was losing the graceful movements she'd started the fight with, much to her own dismay.

Finally, she decided it was impossible to stay longer. Time to test out the last part of her fancy new form: the wings. She dramatically beat them, hoping to escape the ground and soar to freedom… And achieved nothing. She generated a strong gust of wind, but didn't actually manage to lift herself at all.

Sandy felt a rare emotion: Panic. She had no idea how to fly. Could she even take off _? I've come so far in just a few minutes… Surely I can go just a bit further?_ She thought. The roots were covering the altar quickly. Unable to muster enough strength to tear them away, Sandy backed off, climbing onto the altar to buy herself an extra few seconds.

"Anywhere but here. Please, I don't want to die here." Sandy whispered in terror.

The plants kept advancing, as Sandy whispered to herself, trying to keep the advancing tide at bay.

Sandy snapped. Fight or flight. Fight for flight. She kicked away from the floor in panic and simply imagined never going down. She was surprised when her fear-fuelled jump carried her up, first five, then ten, fifteen metres. It was the furthest from the ground she'd ever been. She could feel her wings dispersing magic, keeping her body aloft _. So that's how we fly. Our wings don't work like a bird's… they work by helping us use our magic to stay in the air!_ Sandy could feel that this wasn't using much of her power. Flying was amazingly efficient compared to any of her other spells. She could probably hold position here above the shrine for at least two or three minutes even though she was exhausted.

She looked around. Forest for at least a kilometre in every direction. That was bad. She needed somewhere to land before she ran out of mana. Sandy glided towards the forest's frontiers.

Sandy soared over the forest's boundary quickly enough. Once she'd passed it, then she realised just how much she needed to land. The stress of that situation had unlocked a lot of her hidden potential, but she didn't have any more tricks. Sandy was pretty sure that when her adrenaline faded she would pass out, dragon or not. She glided down to a lower altitude, not far above the ground, and immediately heard The Lady's voice. "Sandy, I'm glad that you're alive. You did all I needed you to, do you need help getting to safety?"

"Yes." Sandy croaked. She might be a dragon with power over sand and ground, but her throat felt like a desert. She decided to try and switch back to orc form before The Lady brought her back. She closed her eyes, but lost focus and fainted.

* * *

Sandy woke up in a large hall. Her entire body felt like it was smouldering charcoal, and not in a good way.

The Lady was looking at her "Well, I'd say that you made quite the contribution there. Thanks to you activating that shrine, I was able to solve my tactical dilemma. And just in time. Sincere thanks, champion."

"You're welcome. I have some more questions, if that's okay?" Asked Sandy, without lifting her (still draconic) head from the floor.

"Please ask them, champion. I have a few minutes before I must return to command of my armies." Said The Lady.

Sandy shifted around, feeling her forelegs burn in aching pain. "How do I go back to my normal self? What did the shrine do? And… when can I be a hero?"

The Lady moved to stroke Sandy's snout. Sandy had no idea how to react, but it was obvious The Lady knew what she was doing. "Brave champion, the dragons of my world are much different to you. I can only suppose you would have to do the opposite of whatever spell you cast to change yourself. That was one of my country's two master shrines. Unlike most shrines, the master shrines affected every dragon. However, my armies in that area had to be moved to protect my supply lines, and prior to then the sword altar was not under my control. Thanks to you, I was able to control both the sword and shield altars for long enough to free the dragon knights. Without you I would have been forced to give up either the land in which food is grown for the whole country, or the sealed army that will bring about Nightshade's end. Truthfully, losing either would have equalled the gain of the other, keeping the war in stalemate. Now I have a well-supplied army of warriors, led by The dragon knights. We march in a week, and they will welcome you among their ranks, champion. I ask this of you: Lead my armies to victory. Don their armour, their banners, and their cause. I think that in my heart, I know that would satisfy me. I must go for now. Recover well." The Lady gently stroked Sandy's face, before walking off.

Sandy closed her eyes, and quietly remembered her old face. She imagined her old body, this time without the horns and the tail. Maybe now she could hide them? She sighed, hoping the transformation would at least cleanse her of the aches and pains left from her battle…

Sandy opened her eyes as an orc, much to her relief. Unfortunately her physical state seemed to have been translated from dragon form, so she still felt like a deflated balloon. Thankfully her robes had survived the ordeal, despite the damage to the hood of the robes, they were easily her favourite look. Her muscles still ached, but she gently touched her head. Her horns were gone. It was… bizarre. She felt like she was never meant to touch this hair, like the space one might feel after losing a tooth. She was now also an orc lying in enough blankets to cover a dragon. It was the best sleep she'd had in years.

* * *

Sandy woke up to an orange sunset streaming in through the hall's windows. She picked herself up from the floor, trying to brush the creases out of her robes. She extracted her hairbrush from a pocket and turned her attention to her head. Having unlocked your full powers by blood and earning respect from a lord was no excuse for messy hair. To her mild annoyance, she felt that the hair where her horns had been was completely unbraided, and that she would have to undo a lot of her normal styling to work in the two new locks of hair. She sat cross-legged, and began to untie her hair.

Twenty minutes later, Sandy had worked her hair into something she hoped looked at least a little better. She walked out of the room, and immediately into a large courtyard. At least a dozen heavily armored and armed bipedal dragons were practising fighting technique. The Lady watched from a balcony. "Champion, I'm glad to see you have recovered. Come, there is much I must tell you." The Lady waved a hand, and Sandy found herself on the balcony next to the lord.

"I must ask… was I unconscious for long?" Said Sandy.

"It has been two days. You recovered from your afflictions remarkably fast. The healers say you managed to completely dry your mana, the knight I sent to tend to you wondered how you managed to blunt your claws so much, and you probably would have died if not for the healing well. Now, the state of my war, and what I'll need you to do. Since you allowed me to free the dragon knights, I have the strength to carve a path to Nightshade herself. I do not know if this infestation stems from her, or from a recreation of the cursed bulb, but either way once we destroy the heart of her forest, the summoned will fall. We march tomorrow. Will you add your strength to mine, and fight under my banner, champion?"

"Gladly" Said Sandy. "But I will require some training to work with a true unit. I think… I think that if we'd trained ourselves to keep track of each other, then Joe would not be in danger now."

The Lady gave a tiny, almost imperceptible smile. "A good line of thought. But for now, I have a gift for you. I had my metalsmiths take measurements of your body, and prepare a set of armour for you to wear if you accepted my conquest. Come, I shall show you." The Lady waved her hand again, warping the two of them into some kind of garrison. Many huge sets of armour lined one wall, and all manner of large-scale weapons the opposite.

Sandy observed the room "Which of these are to be mine? I wasn't awake as a dragon for long, but I remember that my shape was different to the ones you have. I would walk on four legs, not two."

The Lady stopped at a set of bronze plate mail. Unlike a human, a dragon is fully covered in scales, so good armour does not necessarily need to cover everything: It needs to cover weak points. "Transform, Sandy. I will apply the armour." Said The Lady. Sandy obliged, and was relieved to find that this was her second vision: herself standing before The Lady.

Sandy shifted to put the armour on. It was composed of nine large plates, four padded plates that would absorb impacts that covered her shoulders and hips, two that protected her chest and stomach, two that covered most of her tail, and a helmet. The plates were held to her with leather straps, and although Sandy could appreciate that the straps looked very nice aesthetically, making her look regal rather than bound, she did worry a good hit would tear the leather. Sandy noted that when she tried to poke a claw through the eye hole of the helmet it was stopped by an invisible barrier. Perhaps the same principle applied to the straps.

The Lady was methodically fastening each plate of armour. She worked so quickly Sandy suspected that she'd done this before. After just a minute, Sandy was fully prepared.

The Lady stood back to look at her. "Excellent, my smith has truly outdone himself this time. How does it fit, Champion?"

Sandy admired herself. "It fits perfectly, but… I just realised I have no idea how I'm speaking as a dragon. My tongue is so different. Do I use magic to speak, as well as fly?"

The Lady nodded. "Yes. I may not be a dragon, but I have lived with them all my life. If you need any instructions on using your new body, I shall provide them. When you're ready, I'll introduce you to the knights."

* * *

The knights were all disciplined to uniformity. It was somewhere between impressive and terrifying, even though they were no bigger than Sandy's alternate form. The leader carried an axe that would be a suitable weapon for splitting an entire redwood tree from top to bottom. He also had even less of an idea of what an inside voice was than Sung.

"GREETINGS, FROM MY KNIGHTS!" Roared the leader. The knights in question were standing to attention.

Sandy would probably been deafened if she were a little closer, but responded with a calm "Good day, sir. I'll be fighting by your side tomorrow."

"EXCELLENT! WARRIORS, COMBAT PRACTICE RESUMES IN FIVE MINUTES. NEWCOMER, I EXPECT YOU TO ATTEND!" Shouted the warrior.

Sandy looked over the room, picking the closest member to speak with first, a lance user. "Greetings. What's your name?"

The lance user slotted their lance into their shield. "We simply call ourselves by the weapons we use. I am Spear. Of us dragons here, the only ones you are likely to need to concern yourself with are Axe, Longsword, and most importantly, Alchemy. Axe is our leader, fair and just. You will follow him. Longsword, the quartermaster. She will ration your food. Alchemy will restore your health should you become injured. Tell me, what is your weapon?"

"Hmm… I suppose I already share a name with my weapon, since I use sand. I think I can breathe it as a dragon, and I can use the sands of time to my advantage. My name is Sandy."

Spear tilted his head quizzically "You breathe sand, and not fire? The Lady told us you were from another world, but I did not expect the dragons of other worlds to breathe anything but fire. Alas, there isn't much time before our next practice. You should talk to Alchemy, he will be interested in your sand breath."

Sandy scanned the room. It was a strange feeling to know someone's name just by looking at them. Scythe, Mace, Longbow… ah, the one with the potions and bags must be Alchemy.

"Greetings, are you Alchemy? Spear told me you'd be interested in me." Said Sandy.

Alchemy adjusted a pouch on his waist. "Yes. I can see that the dragons of other worlds are much different to us. Perhaps later I could study you? Knowledge is power, and I may not get a chance to learn more about other worlds for many centuries."

Sandy considered the offer "Well, your only chance will be after the daily training, since I don't think I can stay after the war is won. And you'll have to understand that if I'm tired then I'll have to rest to fight properly tomorrow."

"Gaining knowledge requires nothing more than eyes and ears to collect it. If you are tired by the end of training, I'll observe you during the battles ahead. Nonetheless, your permission to be studied is appreciated." Said Alchemy.

Axe kicked open the door roughly "ALRIGHT, BREAK IS OVER! GET OUT HERE, RUST HORNS!"

"Rust horns?" Asked Sandy.

"It's a common insult used to imply someone is out of practice." Explained Alchemy. "Come on, Axe will _not_ be happy if you're slow."

* * *

The sun dawned on The Lady's castle. Sandy managed to wake only a little after the knights. She joined them during their breakfast, rations of highly salted meat. It tasted terrible but it probably had a high energy content. Ten minutes later all of the Lady's elite knights were assembled before her in the courtyard. The Lady sat on her balcony, and cleared her throat.

"Champions of the Shire, today is the day you charge upon our foes. I wish nothing more than to join you, but alas: My skills are most effective from afar. I cannot lead the charge, but I will turn each of you into an army of one. Axe, leader of my knights, and Sandy, champion of the heirs, I entrust this great task to you. Will you fight under the proud flag of this shire?"

"YES, MY LADY." Bellowed Axe, kneeling.

Sandy had no idea how to kneel with four legs, but dipped her head. "Yes, my Lady."

"Then I have no more to say. Dragons, to war!" The Lady waved her hand, and reality bent.

All Sandy could see for a moment was white. She could feel a new strength surging through her. As if every muscle she had was suddenly tuned to peak performance, and every drop of mana she had was turned to a landslide of power.

She appeared in front of an approaching forest in her orc form, glowing with power.

Axe glanced at her "WHY ARE YOU IN YOUR SMALL FORM? GO BACK TO DRAGON, IT'S MORE USEFUL!"

Sandy thrust an arm towards the oncoming jungle, and a rock was flung from nowhere into the nearest tree, snapping it in two. "Sorry, just wanted to test my new powers. It seems that I've met the conditions for becoming a hero." She replaced herself with her draconic form.

Axe lowered his head "WARRIORS, CHARGE! WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL OUR TARGET IS DESTROYED!" He ran at the tide of greenery, followed by his fighters.

Sandy wasn't sure how they were planning to strike, but this was a surprise. The charge of the Dragon knights was essentially a race to see how fast they could carve through the forest. All of the knights had flame breath, but the fastest way to cut a path seemed to be their weapons. It was easy for about two minutes. Then Nightshade's troops arrived.

These shamblers were nearly identical to the ones that could be found in Nightshade's personal garden, but instead of carrying seeds that could be collected, were simply grown for battle. Sandy hesitated to attack the very first one. What if they could be potential allies? She quickly dropped that train of thought when it swung at Alchemy with a thorned vine. Sandy spat acrid sand directly onto the shambler, and she noted with no small satisfaction that it caused her target to wither as if all the water in its body was sucked out.

The band of knights weren't stopping their small crusade for the sake of an attacking army. In fact, Sandy could have sworn that at least three of them were enjoying the added enemies. Spear was in some kind of frenzy, bits of random bushes and trees flying everywhere. Sandy watched as he smashed one shambler flat under his foot, while putting his forward momentum into impaling another from above. And he wasn't even the most dangerous fighter there.

That would be Axe himself.

The leader of the dragon knights was exactly as a legend might remember him: A one dragon army. He was both an unstoppable force and an immovable defence. Sandy would have thought his large weapon was made of hollow plastic given the speed and skill he moved it with, but every second the fact it was metal was made all too clear by another target getting split apart.

It was another half hour before the difficulty stepped up again. Garden terrors approached in a coordinated circle, attempting to find a weak point to tear the group apart. They would have succeeded, but Alchemy downed a bottle of some nasty-looking, sickly purple liquid, and torched the approaching terrors with a bright blue flame that Sandy could very clearly smell was poisonous. Even if they were too tough for that to kill them, it slowed them down badly enough that Sandy and Longsword could focus on dealing with the other side first.

Sandy realised, as the moon rose, that she didn't feel tired at all, and she'd been fighting for at least twelve hours straight. The path they created quickly closed behind them, so it was impossible to know exactly how far the group had gone, but it was a safe bet that it was very far indeed. She was very thankful she'd attained her heroic powers earlier rather than later. Finally, she could see the destination ahead. The trees of the forest were replaced with a writhing carpet of vines, that extended for roughly a mile before joining to the base of the largest, most sinister bulb Sandy could imagine. It pulsed in an erratic pattern, as if it were trying to hold some kind of primordial chaos within. Sandy decided she didn't want to see it bloom.

Axe put his foot on the vine carpet. Every vine in the area froze. "HARRMPH, THAT A NEW TRICK?" He yelled. The vines all moved to latch onto him. It looked like a pair of tidal waves colliding. Sandy was torn for a moment. If she crushed the bulb, that would probably save Axe, but if she were too slow then Axe would be crushed. She could try to pry Axe free from the vines, but if she were snagged the problem would be doubled for her allies.

The other knights had a different idea. Each of them concentrated their flame breath on the mass of vines wrapping around Axe, reducing them to ashes and smoke. Sandy was happy enough with that.

"CRUSH THAT BULB!" Roared Axe. His warriors were happy to oblige, each tearing into the plant with intent to destroy. Sandy exposed the core of the bulb, a bizarre kind of plantlike heart, and dried it with her breath. The Bulb shrivelled. It could handle losing chunks of itself, but apparently a plant like that needed a lot of water. The vines it had been using to defend itself went limp.

Axe leapt overhead, his opportunity to strike appearing. He dived onto the dried heart of the bulb, bringing his weapon down and exhaling enough fire to cloak his entire body. The bulb split in two, and Sandy's vision went white.

* * *

The Lady approached Sandy, as she looked at her surroundings. Nothing. Just a simple, white space. She was an orc again. "Well done, hero. Nightshade has lost all hold on my realm, and while I will not kill her if I can help it, the invasion of hers will be far easier. I will send you-"

There was a rustling, cracking sound. A new voice could be heard as a third woman entered the empty space. "Well, sister. You're certainly a bold one."

"Nightshade!? You cannot hope to match us here. Leave now." Said The Lady, panic betraying her for just a second.

Nightshade looked horrific yet beautiful. If she were a painting, she could've been a national treasure. In the flesh, she was best described as terrible. Not simply in the offhanded way the word might be thrown around at mild inconveniences, she inspired nothing but terror, she radiated the harsh cruelty of nature. Her skin was tinted green with chlorophyll, her dress a thick swathe of brambles. Delicate flowers adorned her hair, among leaves. "I'm only here to say one thing, sister. I've got some information Sandy here can't possibly refuse. Do you know where Joe is?"

Sandy gritted her teeth. "No. But I will see him again. I foresaw that, as I foresaw this meeting."

"Well then, nothing to do but send you on your merry way. I'll enjoy telling him how you weren't even willing to hear me out!" Laughed Nightshade, disappearing.

Sandy dropped her head and sighed "She's bluffing, right?"

"Yes and no. Joseph is currently being tracked by the Gravekeeper. He escaped Ravencourt and entered the world of the seas. He's hiding somewhere in the capital city of our enemy, the Commodore's imperial citadel. We are unsure how he can leave the island without a fully crewed boat, so unless we are able to reach him soon he may be discovered."

* * *

Joe was never more thankful for his admiral's jacket. Despite the large black stain, every guard in the city stood aside as he walked up to the Commodore's palace. It was time for something risky.

He knocked at the door "Hello? This is a visiting admiral, I require an audience with the Commodore!"

The door was opened by a butler. "Sir, do you have an arrangement?"

Joe scrambled for a good answer "I visit on behalf of the Daelin armada. I must have an immediate audience with the Commodore." He hoped the name stitched into the inside of his coat was actually the name of a fleet.

The Butler's eyes bugged out. He nearly choked as he said "Yes sir! Quickly, come inside!"

Joe wondered just who he'd claimed to have an alliance to.

The butler escorted him to the top floor of the palace at a near sprint. He rapped on a large white door with a shout of "Commodore! Urgent business with the Daelin armada!"

The door swung open, revealing a pair of men sitting at a desk. One was an average-build man in naval attire that clearly matched the colour scheme of the mansion- white and gold. The other was a somewhat aged sailor, with white trousers and… Joe's jacket. Not just the same make, but Joe's _exact_ jacket, as he'd found it. It even had one tassel missing from the left shoulder.

The Commodore spoke "Well that's interesting indeed, as I'm speaking with Admiral Proudmoore at this exact moment."

Joe broke the silence "Sir, is that my jacket? Where did you find one like it?"

The Admiral frowned "I would ask you the same question, boy. State your business and name, and I'd better like what I hear."

Joe swallowed. He wasn't up to forging another lie. "My name is Joseph Derek Raynor, son of Confederate marshal and military commander James Raynor, and Archmage Jaina Proudmoore. I am here to seek aid, although I realise that I am not on good terms with the Commodore."

The Admiral frowned deeper. "Tell me. I'm searching for my daughter, who's apparently been around this strange world. Can you prove to me, right now, that you are who you claim to be?"

Joe considered his options. The Commodore butted in with "W-wait! He can't be telling the truth! He'll try to turn you against me! Don't listen to the impostor!"

"Silence! I am searching for my Daughter, you insufferable little man! If this boy is who I think he is, then you have a LOT of explaining to do if you want to see this town in one piece! If you threaten my family, you are as good as dead!" Said the Admiral.

Joe drew some glowing runes in the air "I learned these spells from my mother's library. I was only three when everyone disappeared, so I don't have much to remember her by. Only what I taught myself, and what she left at home."

The Admiral looked at Joe for a long time. "Tell me. Your mother killed very few people willingly, but there was one life she chose to end. Who was that?"

"Her father. I'm told she had to kill him for the sake of peace between two nations. But my guardian never told me what her father did that made peace so impossible. He just told me it still haunted her."

The Admiral closed his eyes. "You're real. Her magic was enough to prove it. I just wondered how I was remembered. Commodore, consider our negotiations over. I must speak with my grandson."

 **Author's notes: Sandy has ascended to heroic. Also, I've finally decided to reveal who Joe's coat belonged to originally- His grandfather, admiral Daelin Proudmoore. If you get a comment in quickly, you can decide which group of heirs I'll be focusing on next. They're organised by lord, but you can specify a name if you want.**

 **Edit: I forgot to respond to the reviews!**

 **Lucario: I estimated a 70% chance you'd do that. And also, I could go through Cook's chapter next if you'd like...**

 **Joe did get defeated in one hit. Without the defence powers granted to heroes, being thrown across a room is pretty nasty.**

 **AnonymousArchon: Well, she's not first. I won't be revealing just when she's going heroic though.**

 **SkullyPirate: Well, it's closer to the heirs gaining as much power as they can before becoming heroes and losing the ability to change equipment quickly. Ready your Nerf bat, I've got some wild talents lined up for the next few chapters.**

New talents: Sandy, level 1

Draconic breath: QUEST, gathering a regen globe increases Stone volley's damage by 2. REWARD, after gathering 20 globes activate this ability to assume dragon form for 5 seconds, temporarily gaining 50 physical armour and causing basic attacks to hit all enemies in a cone. W, E and R Abilities cannot be cast while transformed.

Draconic scale: QUEST, gathering a regen globe increases armour by 1, up to 25. REWARD, after gathering 25 globes activate this ability to assume dragon form for 6 seconds, temporarily gaining a bonus 50 physical armour and causing basic attacks to become melee range. W, E and R abilities cannot be cast while transformed.

Draconic flight: QUEST, Participating in a hero takedown increases movespeed by 2%, up to 20%. Reward, after securing 10 takedowns, activate this ability to assume dragon form for 5 seconds, temporarily gaining 50 physical armour and replacing your Stone Volley (Q) ability with Quick flight (Travel a short distance quickly, ignoring terrain.). W, E and R abilities cannot be cast while transformed.

(All reward cooldowns are 60 seconds. Dragon form counts as a 'massive' hero, so cannot be gorged. Note that Breath offers a constant AoE and allows you to target a backline more safely, Scale lets you take a huge amount of damage but reduces your own, and Flight makes it easier to secure kills on retreating foes but only offers standard basic attack damage.)


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Science

Sung was practicing his techniques with his new blade. One hundred and five kilograms is far more than a normal person weighs, but Sung was far from normal. He was carving a steady path through some practice dummies Cook had cobbled together, while Tom and Cathori watched from afar.

Doctor Cook kicked the doors of the observation bay open, arms filled with a large cardboard box. "Alright, heirs. I've taken it upon myself to cover up your weaknesses, so I have some presents! First things first Tom, you need this!"

Cook set the box on the floor and pulled out a chunky white pistol. It looked closer to a hand cannon, in fact. "Your punches might hurt, but honestly my miniature gauss gun will hurt more. I can't account for magic defences, but it should make fighting quite a lot easier." He passed the gun to Tom.

Tom held it in his hands "It matches my armour pretty well. What else have you got?"

Cook pulled out a bottle of some kind of clear gel. "I've been looking at the solutions in the Firebird's flamethrowers, and they're quite outdated. The Terran dominion hasn't used that compound since before the disaster of New Gettysburg. This is some new, top of the line stuff developed on Korhal itself! It burns much hotter."

Cathori looked at the unassuming bottle "Are we in a position to produce more? I know I'll be able to go hero, uh, soon, but until then I'll need a supply of this if I have to fight. And,um, what was New Gettysburg? Or Korhal?"

"New Gettysburg was a terrible battle even though we 'won'. I won't go into details, but the consequences involved the most powerful person in history getting turned into a weapon of mass destruction. Korhal is the capital planet of the Dominion. As you might imagine, it's quite advanced." Explained Cook.

Tom spoke "So what would we need to improve to make you satisfied? I'm not going to sit idle while Joe could need my help. Stab wound or not."

Cook considered his options "Well, I think I know what satisfies me: Completing projects. So if I assign you all goals, then surely when you complete them I can advance you! Now then… Tom, I want you to have made a full recovery and help me perfect my 17 system. It's been a great project of mine, and hopefully with data I collect from you, I can perfect it! Cathori, I couldn't be more impressed over your Firebird, but I want you to work with me to update all the parts! It'll be much better once it gets a good UED-brand engine inside it. And as for Sung, over there… I'm curious to see him put that sword to good use, but I'm not sure if I can think of a good task for him…"

"Then let's get to work. Cathori can start putting the Firebird into maintenance mode, while you get the data you need for your system." Said Tom.

* * *

Sung was practicing with the archangel. He couldn't beat the giant mech in one-on-one, and probably couldn't even if got his heroic powers. But He had discovered that despite some nasty bruises and raw patches that Tom would have to fix, even bullets didn't manage to get through Sung's bare skin. It was almost comical. A half-naked man learning how to deflect bullets by having the archangel manually shoot at him once every three seconds. He'd experimented with trying to actually send the bullets back at the archangel, and with trying to block two at once, but the first of those tests had gone nowhere, the bullets simply flattening against his blade, while the second resulted in a nasty sprain to his wrist that actually needed two lots of Tom's nanomachines to heal.

The main problem Sung was having with his deflections and blocks was that Datrys really did conduct almost all the heat of the shots. It cooled down fast enough, and the cloth handle stopped his hands burning, but he had some concerns over what would happen if he went up against a heat weapon.

Eventually, he stepped out of range of the Archangel to take a break. Tom was learning marksmanship quickly, Sung noted. He'd been practicing with his new gun almost nonstop, and fighting against training dummies that were capable of striking back. Tom was learning to avoid their rather predictable strokes by moving away, but still took a hit every few swings the robot made. Sung noticed Tom was recovering from the attacks incredibly quickly, even a hit that knocked him to the floor was shrugged off after a few seconds.

* * *

Cathori was hard at work with the Firebird. Almost everything was being either cleaned or replaced with a newly-manufactured part, but there was one thing she was quite insistent about. "I don't want, or need for that matter, a different engine. In fact, I think you'll be impressed with my invention."

The proto engine sat on a desk. It was fairly unassuming, and caked in grime. However, the construction was explicitly tailored to the Firebird, and it was a very impressive piece of work.

Cook leaned over it "Hmm, Standard steel, auxiliary fuel injectors… It leaves a lot to be desired, but your craftsmanship doesn't. If you'd had some proper Neo-steel to work with, this could really be stepped up."

Cathori scanned the room "I think if I had Neo-steel about, or rather a way to forge it, then I could reduce the thickness of every pipe in the thing by a few millimetres, which in turn reduces the weight and lets it cool faster, so I can tell it to operate at a higher pace, and if I put a cooling system in as well then I could basically run it all the time. Get me some paper, I'm gonna draw a plan."

* * *

The sun did not set over Braxis Holdout. It did not rotate, as an orbital testing platform. However, for the sake of rest, Doctor Cook dimmed the sun by half-closing the shields. The three heroes in training and the doctor himself were sitting in the canteen. It had been fully repaired since Cook had hidden inside it, although close inspection of the doorframes would reveal some scratches. Dinner was military rations, food that was designed to meet exactly two criteria: Have a ton of energy, and don't spoil, ever. Taste was not included. Doctor Cook wholeheartedly attempted to drown his mystery meat in ketchup, while Tom struggled to cut it without damaging the plate underneath. Sung was doing some very unconventional skill training and using the Datrys to cut the food. Cathori had raided the storage of the firebird for a better meal, and found one last portion of beef jerky.

The group were having idle conversation over what exactly was in the meat when there was a sudden charge in the air. A gentle current of sorts, that immediately sets anyone on edge. A section of air folded in on itself to form some kind of wormhole, which spat out Kaladi.

Cook reacted first. "Z-Zerg! Zerg! Aaaah!" He pulled out the rail launcher and levelled it quickly, firing.

Kaladi rolled to the side, and the bar lodged itself in the opposite wall. Sung dove in, pushing down the launcher with a cry of "Wait, Doctor! He's an ally!"

Doctor Cook was stuttering incomprehensible words quietly, while crying. Sung was sure he could hear the words "I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die" Over and over.

Tom ran over to the Doctor, guiding him to sit back down "It's okay, calm down sir, please calm down. What's wrong?"

Doctor Cook was withdrawn and quiet, stuttering every word. "I-I-It's n-nothing… s-save yourselves, please save yourselves! I d-don't w-want you to end up like C-Carter… Carter."

Cathori walked over to Kaladi "He didn't hurt you, did he? I'm not sure what's come over him…"

Kaladi spread out his wings, displaying that they were undamaged. "He… missed. What did I… do?"

The Doctor stood up again, trying very hard to force himself to calm down. "Y-You zerg killed… you killed so many…" He collapsed back down, heaving in fear.

Cathori turned to Kaladi "Maybe we should leave the room for now, the poor guy's terrified."

"Okay." Said Kaladi, following Cathori as she left the canteen.

Tom was comforting Cook. "It's okay, he's gone. You can relax, just relax and put yourself together. Sung, get him something to drink."

Sung grabbed a sachet of instant coffee from a nearby set of shelves, snatching a pot and some water and putting it to boil quickly.

Cook had one hand over his heart, and was lying back against the table trying to control his breath. "S-Sorry, I-I just… have some experiences."

Tom carefully chose his next words. "I'm not going to ask you to relive them. But I do need you not to attack my friend, doctor."

Sung passed Cook a hastily made cup of coffee. The doctor clutched it like a lifeline. "I just… well, I've watched so many people die to the Zerg… a-and it's never been a clean matter. I was standing next to someone when they died. I can still see their face. I can still see the pain…"

Tom thought about this information "I think you may have some kind of mental scarring, all things considered. You're often very nervous, but seeing Kaladi caused you to pretty much have a breakdown."

Cook nodded "L-likely. M-maybe he shouldn't come back in here?"

Sung shook his head "Kaladi is likely here to try and achieve heroic status, as we are. He may have questions for you, doctor."

Tom looked at Sung "You saw how he reacted. It wouldn't be fair to make him talk to Kaladi."

"Maybe I could simply get the questions from Kaladi, and pass them along? Would that be better?" Said Sung.

"Y-yes, words alone can't hurt me. Words can herald destruction and inspire it, but they'll never do the deed themselves" Said Cook.

"Doctor, you're quoting the protagonist of your favourite novel." Said Tom.

* * *

Sung joined Kaladi and Cathori in the corridor. "Doctor Cook is mortally afraid of anything even remotely Zerg. As such, I will transcribe any questions you have, Kaladi."

"I just wanted to know… if he could help me get the power? I want… to help Joe. I only knew him for a few weeks… but he is… family." Said Kaladi.

"I see. I'll talk to the doctor about this, but I'm not sure if I can succeed" Said Sung.

Cathori spoke up "I'm coming with you. Maybe together we can convince him."

Sung and Cathori re-entered the canteen. Cathori looked at Cook "Are you okay? What happened to you?"

Tom answered for Cook "He has some kind of trauma in his past relating to the Zerg."

Cook sipped at his coffee. "Y-Yes, unfortunately. W-where is the zerg now, might I ask?"

"He's waiting in the corridor outside. We thought it would be better not to take him back in until you were ready." Said Cathori.

"I have his question" Said Sung "He wishes to know if there is any way you can help him attain heroic power?"

Doctor Cook was silent "I can make him more powerful… As a biologist. But I don't know if there's any way I could be satisfied seeing a Zerg!"

"Uh, what would you do?" Asked Cathori.

Cook looked at the bottom of his coffee mug like it held the answers to all his problems "As a biologist, I know the zerg can assimilate the strengths of their foes. In order to increase his powers, I could make him fight some of the experimental specimens at this station. H-He could probably gain some u-useful traits."

Sung nodded "I will tell him."

* * *

Sung returned immediately. "He accepted, and wishes to fight them now."

"O-okay. No sense in keeping- argh, I shouldn't be like that, it's awful to you. But I hope you understand that I don't want to have to face a zerg!" Said Cook. "I kept them all in stasis for the last few years. I'll remotely release them so your friend can fight them." He got up and walked over to a screen, entering a sequence of commands. "They're going to be released into the training area, one of each species we kept here, minus the Ultralisk. So one zergling, one baneling, one hydralisk, and one guardian. I'll send in the Ultralisk once he's ready for it."

Cathori left the room, and spoke to Kaladi "Okay, we've set up the zerg for you to fight. Follow me, I know the way."

"Yes… I will use their essence. If I am stronger… then we can survive." Replied Kaladi.

Cook watched on a screen as Kaladi entered the training arena. The enemy zerg's reactions were instantaneous. All four of the specimen turned to attack him.

Cathori watched as the zergling was washed in acid, quickly eating away its armour. The baneling wasn't too much of a problem alone, while it forced Kaladi to move around to get enough time to attack it, it wasn't very durable. The problems came from the hydralisk and the Guardian. A hydralisk spine caught Kaladi in the wing, cutting straight through. Kaladi would have crashed to the ground no matter what, so he dived onto the hydralisk and activated his two defensive abilities. While the bio swarm was both healing him and damaging his target, Stopper dust saved his life twice: Once by deflecting a spine that should have gone through his throat, once by blocking the floater's attack. After leaving it with his fangs embedded in the throat, oozing venom, Kaladi kicked away from the hydralisk's body, rising above the Guardian. He was only spitting his regular attacks down, but they were enough. Kaladi landed, four fallen zerg around him. He wasted no time in starting to consume them. Cathori stopped watching there.

Tom looked on in mild curiosity. "Hey doctor, you can see some changes already. Look, his skin's a little different, and his armour covers his sides. I'll have to ask what new skills he has. Doctor? Oh, sorry."

Doctor Cook was watching with an expression that could have indicated bad flashbacks or that he was about to be violently ill. "Y-yes. Biologically fascinating, but I think I'd rather not!"

Cathori stepped down into the arena "How do you feel?"

"Useful essence… Stronger acid… from the baneling, better muscle from zergling. Greater pressure in glands… lets me spit further, from hydralisk. Faster acid production from… Guardian. I feel stronger." Said Kaladi. He opened his mouth for a moment, and Cathori could already see a new pair of fangs growing in to replace the ones left in the hydralisk.

Cathori looked at the mess "Yeah, I guess that's the whole thing with the zerg. Uh, ready for the ultralisk? I hear those are pretty tough, so maybe I should get Sung to back you up? I'd come myself, but my mech is being repaired."

"Yes. Can see them from memory… they are very large. I will need… time to defeat one." Said Kaladi.

Sung was already on the way down to the training area when Cathori said this. He opened the door to the observation area, and promptly jumped down to the training zone. "Greetings! I hope I'm welcome here, since I think you're going to need me. And besides, no pain, no gain. This should be a tough battle."

The intercom buzzed "Cook here. A-are you sure you want to fight an Ultralisk? They're large enough to crush you underfoot!"

Sung crossed his arms "We can bring it down. With the powers I've inherited, and those I've trained to earn, I think I can outmanoeuvre it. With a healer to back me up, and your new sword, I'm sure I can win!"

"O-okay, here goes!"

The Ultralisk was enormous. Colossal. Gargantuan. Immense. Ten times taller than Sung. Sung had thought the door it was released from had actually been a wall until then.

He drew his sword, and charged it. "Kaladi! Distract it!"

Kaladi soared over the ultralisk's head, aiming to get acid into its eyes. His efforts at blinding it were in vain, but he distracted its main threat, the tusks, away from Sung long enough for Sung to get underneath it.

Sung made a powerful swing at its legs with Datrys, and the sword cut into the armoured carapace. It wasn't an easy cut, but considering that it was an artificially improved ultralisk, any cut was a big deal. Sung kept swinging, as the ultralisk actually reared up and attempted to stamp on him.

Sung rolled to one side and used the attack to his advantage. He pressed the tip of the Datrys to the descending foot, and the ultralisk's own weight drove the blade into its leg hard enough to crack the carapace. And it didn't turn to attack Sung in retaliation, because Kaladi was succeeding in his own attacks.

As it had reared, Kaladi had had a clear, horizontal shot at its eyes that were normally protected. One acid flare later, the ultralisk was missing two of its four eyes. This achieved nothing but a berserk ultralisk. Kaladi first rolled back to dodge a cross-swing of the ultralisk's tusks, and then dropped out of the air altogether to avoid its lunging bite. For something that weighed as much as a small house, the ultralisk was _fast_.

Kaladi landed next to Sung. Sung glanced to the side, avoiding death by crushing yet again. "We need a way to hurt it's insides, attacking the outside is only driving it berserk!" Sung shouted.

"Cannot break through! It's too thick. Need you to use your weapon!" Hissed Kaladi.

"Okay, I got it!" Sung ducked under a tusk and Kaladi leapt over the other. The ultralisk was growing frustrated quickly over its targets' evasiveness. "The only weak point I see is the neck! Help me get on this thing's back!"

"Distracting it! Go round back!" Said Kaladi. He rose up to get in the Ultralisk's face again, hoping to avoid the tusks it was swinging around. This plan didn't work as well as the first time. The Ultralisk managed to bite and attack with both tusks at once, moving fast enough that backpedalling wasn't an option. Up and down was the roof of the ultralisk's mouth. Each side was blocked by tusks. Forward was only the gaping maw of the beast. Kaladi was snapped out of the air.

Inside the mouth, Kaladi didn't roll over and give up. The inside of the mouth wasn't soft by any means, but it was enough for Kaladi to stick his claws in and hold on. The ultralisk had no intention to chew it's meal. Kaladi was nearly crushed to death as it attempted to swallow him. His strength was failing fast, but then his help came through.

Sung hadn't seen any easy way to climb the ultralisk, so he'd opted to take a more direct route. He'd stabbed it with Datrys and in one deft motion, swung himself unto the top of the creature. He charged along it's back, leapt into the air and brought his blade down on the neck. It didn't slice through cleanly, or even more than a third of the way. But despite the fact the ultralisk didn't need its spine, it did need its muscles in the neck to hold its massively armoured head up. As the head lurched forwards, propelled by gravity, the remaining flesh of the neck was ripped in two by the sheer weight of the two body halves.

* * *

Kaladi was thrown from the mouth as the head crashed into the floor. Of the seven parts of his body that could have broken, five were. Both wings, and three legs. However, his vitals were still in one piece, and internal bleeding is somewhat of a joke to the zerg. Sung walked over.

"By the worlds… are you alive, Kaladi!?"

Kaladi blinked. "Will recover. Have… much essence. Just need time. Bring me some. I… cannot move very fast." Despite this, he was still using his one good leg to push himself towards the ultralisk carcass. Sung had to admit, he got an A for effort.

Sung walked over to the ultralisk and hacked off a fist sized chunk of flesh. He was covered in black blood by this point, but also beyond caring. "Hey, Kaladi. Open wide, I have what you need."

Kaladi opened his mouth, and Sung placed the meat inside. Kaladi swallowed. The change was instant. His legs straightened. The spines of his wings fused back together. There was a messy grinding sound as other parts of his body put the fresh material to use. Kaladi picked himself off the floor. "Much… better. Thank you, friend!"

"Wow, now that was close. You need any more of that?" Said Sung, gesturing to the fallen enemy with his blade.

"I can get it… on my own. You should clean… yourself. Don't humans have rules about being clean?" Said Kaladi.

"Where did you even get that information? Well, you're right. I'll go have a shower. Meet me inside when you're done, okay?" Said Sung, massaging his hand as he walked off.

Cathori came up as Kaladi was eating a second chunk of the ultralisk. "You had me worried there."

Kaladi turned to face her, and swallowed. "I… am glad Sung was here. He's gotten much stronger… more aware."

Cathori looked at the body of the ultralisk. Black blood pooled over the surrounding floor. It was a good thing her boots were also black. "I wish I could've helped with the fight. It was silly of me to let you go into a battle that we could've delayed without all the help possible. I… I was too optimistic. I nearly got you killed, Kaladi."

"It is alright. I am not used to having… allies, let alone friends. And I know you… will learn. That is what you do." Kaladi replied, before sticking his face back into the carcass.

"Thanks." Cathori was silent for a long time as she turned over her lesson in her mind. Kaladi might have been the one to gain physical strength, and Sung learned how to act with allies, but Cathori was the one to walk away with the most important thing of all from the fight: wisdom she could never hope to forget.

Dissatisfied with the silence, and wanting to stay around someone she could talk to, Cathori tried to think of a new topic for conversation. "Hey, Kaladi? What exactly does that, um, thing even taste like?"

"My taste… is different. I can taste it has resilience. Taste… traits and nutrients. Your taste… I remember it senses things like bitter, sweet, sour? I don't know if it is… bitter." Said Kaladi.

"That's really useful… I guess I probably shouldn't try it myself. It's got to be poisonous to me." Said Cathori.

* * *

Later, Cook was meeting with the other heroes in the canteen. He'd tried to include Kaladi by letting him hide in the air conditioning vents, but a pair of faintly luminescent eyes watching you from the shadows at all times was far more unnerving than expected. Eventually Kaladi had taken to sitting in the opposite corner of the room to Cook, which wasn't a perfect solution, but did at least prevent a second mental breakdown.

Cook was the first to speak "Well, honestly I'm quite proud of you Sung! That was quite the field test for your sword, and beheading one of those things is no mean feat! Why, Tom even kept the recordings!"

Sung scratched the back of his head "You're welcome, doctor. Though I couldn't have won alone, after all: I had to get behind my foe to strike at the neck."

Cook nodded "True, true, but your teamwork turned an unlikely battle into a victory! I'm quite proud of you."

Tom handed Sung a tablet computer, a high-definition playback of the fight running. Sung had to admit, the angle on the camera made him look good while he sliced through his foes. "Excellent. Though, enough about me. How are you and Cathori progressing? I'm no scientist, but I understand that working with others on projects can be tough."

Tom smiled, his messy hair framing his face. "I am currently a living medical breakthrough. The doctor managed to get some sweet data by looking at my body, we're going to have the final version finished tomorrow once the adjutant finishes processing everything. And these nanomachines make me feel like I've been working out for the last few years, hard. I feel like I'm on cloud nine!"

Cathori glanced at Kaladi, but decided not to bring him into the conversation for the doctor's sake. "The Firebird's renovations will be complete once I finish the proto engine 2.0. It's taken a few days overall, but it's all coming together now!"

Cook held his hands together "Looks like tomorrow will be a busy day! As such, you should all get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, heirs."

* * *

The next day was hectic. Cathori was rushing to finish her engine's second iteration. Tom and Cook were furiously studying data the adjutant had provided, and were writing new code for the 17 system.

Sung was mastering his new weapon. Previously, the blade had unbalanced him a little, but now he could swing it just like his old sword. In fact, the weight had come to his advantage. His ability to semi-magically knock up the floor into a crater was even more powerful with the extra hundred kilos.

Kaladi wasn't really sure what to do. Cook was so terrified of him that the doctor had just sort of walked up to him intending to say something, gone pale and walked away slightly faster. He'd decided to just try and help Cathori.

The first success of the day was Tom's 17 system. "It's working!" Tom shouted, as he looked at several green bars on the screen.

Doctor Cook was nearly dancing a jig. "We've done it, boy! We managed to get it going, oh I couldn't be happier!"

Tom could feel a burning sensation in his heart. Not a painful one, but the kind of burning associated with triumph, victory, and success. It felt amazing. The wondrous burning feeling spread throughout his body, and Tom quickly realised this feeling was more than just his own. He could feel as the burning faded, power flowed through him in its place. He had ascended.

* * *

Sung was next. His sword flashed from dummy to dummy like it was weightless. But scientifically, Cook needed to make sure it passed a weapons test to be satisfied. First, Steel bars. Sung was able to slice through them cleanly, not even breaking a sweat. Sharpness was good. Next, durability. Cook used a single shot from his rail launcher to test that. Sung was able to deflect the bar perfectly, sending it harmlessly to one side without its momentum. The blade wasn't even scratched. And finally, practical use. Cook selected one of the station's automated hellbats to test it. Now was the time to find weaknesses, after all.

Sung opened by gouging out a chunk of the shield. The Hellbat's flamethrower roared to life, and Sung actually did a good job of deflecting the wave of fire. The sword conducted hundreds of degrees down to his hands, but Sung didn't burn. The cloth handle refused to ignite, either by material or by magic, and by the time Sung's hands were feeling the heat the sword was cool again. Sung brought the weapon across the shield in a sawing, two-handed arc, and cleaved the machine in two. Sung could feel his new powers awakening before another word was said. They made him feel like he could take on the world.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, Cathori finished installing the engine. Both she and Kaladi were covered in machine grease and she was a little tired, but the new and improved firebird wouldn't have been out of place in a professional showroom. The windows had gone from toughened glass to quadruple-treated bulletproof glass. The hull was military grade Neo-steel. The tracks had been redesigned for grip on anything. Every motor had been deep-cleaned and repaired to factory standard, or replacements were manufactured. Wiring had gone from copper with ordinary soldering to an advanced gold blend that joined to the circuits with strong, locking clips. The driver's seat was no longer a cannibalised swivel chair held in place with duct tape, but a pilot's seat that would normally be used in the UED's fighter aircraft. The weapons were even better. The flamethrower had an internal heat-dispersion system so that it could run continuously, and external defences that could take a hit from a raging hydralisk. The mortar and the shrapnel array were redesigned from the ground up, no longer launching weaponised debris but professionally manufactured mortar bombs… and _scientifically_ weaponised debris.

Kaladi hid once Cook entered the room. He watched as Cathori showed Cook just what her new craft could do. Cook was ecstatic as Cathori marched it over to the practice range, and demonstrated her upgraded arsenal. Cathori's mech seemed to catch light from every angle. Even the paint job had been redone, the faded red replaced with a new coat that perfectly matched her mother's old tank. It was a seriously impressive machine, and Cook was impressed enough that he probably would have done what he did even if he'd never met the driver. The Firebird and pilot ascended, Cathori gasping as she felt her mech -and herself- buzzing with new power.

* * *

In the evening, everyone sat around the same table, except Kaladi. Cook was beyond pleased with the day's results. "Why, if I had anything worth eating, I'd throw you a feast! Well done, new heroes!"

Sung cut through the mystery meat with ease "It was a truly meaningful day for all of us. Once the rest of us are ready, I'm prepared to take another attempt at fighting the Raven Lord."

Tom grinned "Well, we're immortal now! You could do it alone if you don't mind dying a bunch of times!"

Sung laughed "Maybe, but I'm not quite foolish enough to trust he doesn't have any kind of backup plan. I'm going in and out without a scratch, if I can!"

Cathori picked at her dinner. She stared at the plate, and the unappetising meal stared back.

Tom noticed first "Cathori, you seem kind of down? Didn't you just become a hero, like us? You should be celebrating!"

Cathori sighed. She didn't want to upset Cook… but the sheer injustice of letting her thoughts go unsaid outweighed it. "Cook, I'm sorry to bring this up, but…" she mulled over her words "What about Kaladi? He's our friend. I can't just leave him as he is, especially with our confrontation with the Raven Lord on the horizon."

Cook set down his fork. He closed his eyes. It was obvious he was trying to control his emotions, although what exactly those emotions might be was a mystery. "Sentimentality can't change the past, hero." He said.

Tom frowned. "I can understand his viewpoint… even if he could forgive the zerg for what they did, it would be very tough for him to ever be satisfied with one, or even just less than terrified."

Sung nodded his head "But at the same time, we can't hope to find another lord before The Raven Lord is upon us."

Kaladi fluttered across the room. Cook flinched. Kaladi landed at the other end of the table and spoke "They… are right. We are out of time. Tomorrow we… must leave. So… what must I do?" He sat back, used his forelegs to elevate his front, closed his eyes and hung his head, imitating a bowing motion.

Cook was breathing a little fast, but his nerves were holding. "I-I don't know… I just don't know enough about psychology to manipulate myself. I can't force myself to feel satisfied."

Tom's mind was working fast "I know what to do. Doctor, you have to overcome your fears. That's the best I can offer, at least. But just… trust me here, okay doctor? I have a really… fantastic plan."

Cook fidgeted. "W-what?"

"You just need to know that Kaladi won't hurt you. I know he won't hurt you, because I trust him, and I trust Joe who also trusted in him. But if there's one person that everyone can trust, it's themselves. So… well, reach out, and touch him first." Said Tom.

Cook's legs were trembling as he stood up. He shuffled along, and very tentatively and slowly placed a finger on Kaladi's head.

Tom looked on, still hoping his plan would hold together. "Right… you're still unhurt, aren't you? And I'm pretty sure any other zerg would have attacked by now. So… to totally prove that he doesn't have any kind of ill intention towards you… try…" Tom's thoughts flickered for a second. Was this really the best plan he had? "Try shaking hands."

Cook looked ready to vomit, but he carefully picked up one of Kaladi's hands. Kaladi turned his head to Tom, opened one eye and quietly said "Tom, how do I shake hands? I haven't… done this before, Tom."

Tom sweated nervously "Just... well, let the Doctor lead."

Cook limply shook hands with Kaladi.

Tom did his best to finish his attempt. "Well, doctor… he could've probably killed you like… four times by now, and that's not including the time when you were sleeping, or unguarded while around. And he hasn't, so, does… that… work?"

Cook sat back down "I appreciate the attempt, Tom. It was noble of all of you. And I can believe that he doesn't mean any harm, but… no, I have a plan! _Eureka_. You can help me in a big way. You have the DNA of all types of zerg found at this station… so if I could have some of your DNA, then I could start developing a broadly effective counter to them. Even a tiny amount of blood to work with would be worth the same as billions of credits' worth of equipment."

"I… can see that this is the only way. What do you need?" Kaladi said.

Cook started quickly scribbling on a notepad "Blood. Tissue. A bone sample if possible, but that might be painful."

Kaladi looked at Sung "No pain… No gain? Right?"

Sung returned the look "This is your choice. We'll all support you through it."

"Let's go, doctor Cook… I need to become stronger." Said Kaladi.

"Right away. Come with me." Said Cook, leaving the table.

* * *

The DNA sample only took a minute to take. As immensely painful as a bone sample had been, Kaladi was already healing the sliver of missing body.

Cook looked at the three tiny vials "What an incredible opportunity… No other human in history will get a chance like this, Kaladi. I am… quite grateful for it."

Kaladi felt himself gaining power. For every recipient, it had felt as they'd imagined power feeling. Kaladi felt like every part of himself had been perfected. As if his evolution had been jumped forwards by a thousand years. "I… have the power! I will protect my allies for all lives, doctor."

* * *

The Imperial Palace burned. Joe watched as a massive armada fired on the building from all angles.

Daelin crossed his arms and looked at the ruined palace. "Good riddance to him. Joe, we will leave before his fleet mobilises. But first, I must know… what can you tell me about your mother's fate?"

"She went missing along with the rest of the heroes fourteen years ago. However, as a hero, it's impossible to kill her… so she must be imprisoned." Joe concluded.

Daelin sighed "I'm sorry, grandson… but heroes all die in the end. Time claims us if battle doesn't."

"Sorry, I wasn't clear enough! I mean, the people we call heroes are literally impossible to kill. Their powers are amplified, and even if they do fall, they self-resurrect. I'm not exactly sure how I became one… but I'm sure of it. I should have died after I sacrificed myself to save a friend." Said Joe.

"And what about the realm lords, like that Commodore? Will he die, after I toppled his palace while he was inside?"

"I don't know. I hope they can be killed, because I think a lot of them are our enemies. Maybe even all of them. Grandfather… what should we do next? I know what we should do, but I don't know how."

"We're going to seek out the Commodore's greatest enemy. I'm going to find my daughter one way or another, and talking to the pirate lord seems to be our best hope right now. First Mate! Give the orders to the crew, we're heading to the outlawed waters. Our mission is to find and speak with the pirate lord." Shouted Daelin. "Never thought I'd be working with pirates, almost as bad as orcs…" he muttered.

"Orcs? What's wrong with orcs?" Said Joe.

Daelin looked at him with tired eyes. "I'll explain once I think you're ready. Powerful or not, you don't want to know what happened to me because of orcs."

* * *

 **Author's notes: Cook's chapter is done. But there are still more heirs to empower.**

New talents:

Sung

level 4:

Guard stance, Flame guard can now be toggled. While on, block 1 basic attack every 0.5 seconds, and one instance of spell damage every 0.5 seconds. Attack slow still applies. Costs X mana/fury/brew per instance of damage reduced.

Crushing might, While flame guard is not active, your basic attacks remove up to 4 block charges from enemies, and deal full damage to enemies with physical armour.

Level 20:

R1 up, Earthshaker, Enemies caught in Arena Crater have attack speed slowed by 75% for 2 seconds, and take 25% increased damage.

R2 up, Marathon fighter, while endurance is active, basic attacks heal Sung for 15% of his max HP.

Tom is now a ranged support.

New talent, level 1:

Projected nanomachines, increase the range of your Intensive repair by 200%

Level 20:

18 System, regenerate an additional 3% of your max health per second.

Death trigger, while Anti-field is active, Tom cannot drop below 1 HP. Upon reaching 1 HP, Anti-field's duration ends and the damage is cast immediately, also removing any damage over time effects from Tom. Increases cooldown of Anti-field by 8 seconds.

Cathori

Level 1:

Specially-blended fuel, increases attack damage by 20% and movespeed by 10% for 10 seconds after collecting a regen globe.

Level 20:

Weapon capacity up, your basic abilities gain a second charge.

Kaladi

Level 1:

QUEST, Embrace the Zerg, Use 100 essence. REWARD, Increase the cap of essence stored by 5, and increase Bio swarm's duration by 0.5 seconds.

QUEST, Heritage of the Dream, Heal 20,000 damage. REWARD, Increase base ability power by 5%, and Bio swarm restores 5 mana to allied heroes per hit.

Level 20:

R1 up, Psionic adaptation, Increase Energy blink's range by 20%, and it can be used to blink to enemies, dealing medium damage and reducing their ability power greatly.

R2 up, Mutagenous bite, Increases Venom fang's damage by 100%. If an enemy hero dies while under the effects of Venom Fang, their death timer is extended by 15 seconds.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Servitude

Autumn stood in the centre of the sky temple. Three blocks of twenty fighters stood behind her. Ka was seated before all of them.

"Welcome to the sky temple, heir. Your service begins. Kneel before me, and receive your first task." Commanded Ka.

Autumn and the sixty gladiators knelt.

"Heir of the monk, your skills are those of the shadows. Infiltration and deception. For a moment I wondered why the Gravekeeper would send you to me… But now I understand. You can do what my forces cannot, and observe those who hide from the sun. You are to spy upon our foes. There is no quicker way to bring them down."

Autumn felt oddly… where she wanted to be. She had always wanted to be someone like her mother: Loyal and with a cause. She kept her tone flat and chilly. "Yes, my lord. Where shall I go first?"

"Your first target will be the imperial forces of The Commodore. We will strike unexpectedly, with daylight as your cover. You may take my gladiators if required, but be warned that they are fighters, not spies." Said Ka.

"What will be my objective?" Asked Autumn.

"The sun sees all its light touches. The Commodore is currently harried by the forces of another navy, and prepares to meet with their leader in order to secure an alliance. You must turn this new navy against him. Bring it to our cause if it's loyalty can be proven."

Autumn considered her options "I am ready to depart at any time. I believe I can sabotage a meeting."

"Go now, into the realm of seas." Commanded Ka, and the sun overhead shone briefly, blinding Autumn for a moment.

* * *

Autumn's vision cleared in another realm. Rows upon rows of perfectly uniform white houses lined streets. The sun blazed in a clear blue sky overhead, sparkling on the waves of some tremendously large docks.

Within the docks was an entire navy. At least on hundred ships were stationed there, all with white hulls and sails embroidered with golden thread. Autumn could see only five kinds of ship, the main body of the forces were four-masted, and prickled with cannons. A few ships had five masts and heavy plating that was clearly designed for ramming enemies. They had to be the fronlines. There was a small group of three-masted schooner type ships, all with slim hulls that made Autumn suspect they were highly mobile, and then the two large variants. Four ships had five masts, and unlike the rest of the forces, figureheads graced the bows. They seemed important. And the flagship. Autumn decided that she'd need to stop that one ever moving against her, because it had ten masts, enough cannons to bury a smaller ship under the sheer number of cannonballs it could fire, some kind of ballista on top, and a pristine figurehead carved in the shape of an angelic woman holding a pair of scales. Autumn could see the name 'Judgement' emblazoned on the side.

She shook her head. While enemy numbers were valuable information, Ka knew everything that the sun saw. _I need to find the meeting location. If I can steal an official uniform, I can fake an assassination attempt. Or I could plant fake evidence. Or possibly cause miscommunication between this Commodore and the admiral of the other navy…_ Autumn went invisible immediately. Better not to draw attention.

 _Where is the other navy? If they're meeting in person, then their admiral will have to come here._ Autumn scaled a nearby house. This was no mean feat, but her self-designed ghost training had covered everything it could, including wall-climbing. The view from the rooftop answered her question. The other navy wasn't anywhere near as pristine and grand as the fleet of white ships that belonged to this feat. They were an armada two-thirds the size, but they had the white fleet surrounded in their own port. If one white ship moved, they could sink half the fleet before they got moving. They wouldn't even have to aim, the targets were packed so efficiently. The rival armada was made of a mishmash of ships, but all bore blue sails. Their flagship wasn't as large as the judgement, but comparing the two was like comparing a trained athlete to a hardened war veteran. The Judgement was obviously massively powerful, but had likely never been used before, it was so clean, and that meant the crew wasn't familiar with what it could do. The rival flagship looked like it had won several wars on its own, and bore the scars of repairs to prove it.

Autumn looked over the rest of the town. It was impressively uniform. Only a few buildings were different. There was a cluster of taller, wider buildings with flags, which were likely the city's banks and important temples, and one massive building which dwarfed all others in the area. It was very obviously some kind of palace, with great pillars and balconies that could have hosted fifty people. Autumn hopped off the roof and began travelling there.

Autumn didn't have to bother re-entering stealth often, even though her clothes didn't match those of the townspeople in the slightest. The sunlight was so bright that everybody had to keep their heads down, so Autumn just walked along the side of the areas to capitalise on their reduced eyesight. Her walk was calm and natural, like she belonged there, and so people didn't pay her any attention. It was then that somebody else caught her eye. Somebody with a very familiar navy coat, blond hair and a gun from another world. _What in the worlds is Joe doing here?_ Autumn thought.

This was a dilemma. She could pursue Joe, but that would almost certainly lead to the failure of her mission. Or she could continue with her mission, and risk leaving Joe to die. Autumn gritted her teeth. _If we lose the war, then Joe and everyone else would die anyway. I'm sorry, but you'll have to survive by yourself._ Autumn walked on, focused on setting the two navies at odds.

* * *

She switched back to invisible when she reached the palace. She gently pushed the front door open, and used that as a distraction to climb in through a window. Infiltration was much easier while invisible, but sloppiness invited death. Once inside, it was a matter of finding where the meeting would be held. Autumn didn't dare get too close to any inhabitants of the palace, in case they heard her footsteps against the marble floor. Autumn began a slow sweep of the building.

First, the lower levels for servants. As Autumn expected, nothing here was as clean as it was upstairs, though far from the horrible working conditions some history books had described. The only useful room she found was a laundry room. She picked out a clean maid's uniform and stashed it under a crate in the room for later use.

Next, the ground floor. This floor was at least five times as large, but most rooms needed little more than a superficial check. Autumn kept a mind map of each room, and consciously tried to work out if there were any suspicious gaps a hidden room could exist in. The floor had nothing of use. On the second floor, there were a large number of rooms devoted to art, and four bedrooms, each with beds three metres wide. _What does he need this many king's beds for?_ Wondered Autumn. A check of each room uncovered one useful object: A lady's makeup kit. Autumn was no stylist, but she knew a touch of makeup and a hastily changed hairstyle could make someone look like a different person, especially at a glance. By adding that to the maid's uniform downstairs, she could certainly pass as a member of staff, and be unrecognisible when she washed off the makeup and discarded the uniform.

The third floor had what Autumn needed. A study had two armed guardsmen standing outside, and through the open door a pair of maids were setting the room for a meeting. She crouched silently, cranking the dynamo of her suit to stay hidden. She listened to their conversation.

"It's terrible, Melody. These outsiders have the nerve to just barricade our port and make demands like they own us! I say we ought to just blast them apart."

"Now now, sister. They've got us by the throat. We can't even get crew onto those ships without losing most of them. We just need to play it safe until the commodore can get control of the situation. If worst comes to worst, he can use his abilities. Those ruffians will never know what's hit them."

Autumn stopped listening. It was time to make her move. She first returned to the laundry room and grabbed the uniform, and then took it to the bedroom. She was relieved to find that her own suit wasn't massively visible under the uniform. She quickly tied her hair back and applied some powder to her face to change the skin tone. It wasn't a master disguise, but if she walked and talked like she belonged, then she could go undetected long enough to get the information she needed.

* * *

Autumn walked up to the kitchens quickly. Many other cooks and cleaners were present. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was told to prepare for our guest's arrival. I was wondering if you know when they will arrive, sir? I can't serve them food that isn't freshly prepared." She said to a worker overlooking the kitchen's efforts.

The worker looked at a clock. "Twenty minutes. They'll be meeting in the fourth study. Don't mess this up, maid."

"Thank you, sir." Said Autumn, quickly turning and scanning the room. The easiest thing to do now was follow through with her lie, and she looked for an easy item she could prepare… her eyes landed on a shelf stacked with teapots. Perfect. She moved a kettle to boil and put some leaves to one side, before finding a pair of smaller cups and placing them on a tray. Far from glamourous, femme-fatale spy work, but this was a golden opportunity to send the meeting sideways. If she slipped a poison into _the commodore's drink_ , the admiral would assume it was intended for him. And she would be gone before anyone would be searching for her, assuming the commodore was even alive to organise a search. All she needed was a neutral smelling poison… She scanned the room. Nothing was obviously lethal, but it was a kitchen, after all. Autumn realised where she could find something soluble, neutral smelling and poisonous: the makeup kit. Autumn didn't know what the properties of nail gloss were, but she would have willingly bet that it would kill someone if they drank it.

* * *

Autumn left the kitchen with ten minutes remaining and a steaming pot of tea on a tray. She carried it to the bedroom and hastily pocketed all three glass bottles of clear substances from the kit. At least one had to be deadly when ingested. She carried the tray up to the room where the maids had been working earlier. Thankfully, they'd completed their task and left a few minutes ago. The door guards remained, however. Autumn walked straight up to them, intending to just walk in as though she were already permitted.

"Halt, servant." Said one guard.

Autumn put on her most neutral, professional tone. "Yes, sir?"

"State your business within this room."

"I'm delivering the tea for the admiral and commodore. It's been freshly prepared."

"Enter. Be quick, the lookout has identified the admiral approaches early." Said the guard. This inspired genuine fear in Autumn. If the commodore walked in on her, then there was a very good chance he would be able to see something wrong with her mannerisms.

"Thank you, sir. I will be only a few seconds." Autumn carried the tray into the room.

Once inside, she set the tray in the centre of the desk, and poured two cups of tea. She had no doubts the tea was of dismal quality, but she'd never done this before. Quickly, she produced the three bottles of clear solutions from her pockets. She uncapped the first one and sniffed it. No smell, and the liquid wasn't as thin as water. Perfect. She poured some into the drink furthest from the door, stirred it and pocketed the bottle again. Then she walked out, thanking the guard on the way past.

Autumn knew the plan could still go wrong. But she could still make sure it didn't. She ran to the empty bedroom and quickly stripped the uniform away to reveal her operations suit. She stuffed the uniform under the bed and entered stealth again, returning to the study.

* * *

Autumn crouched in the corner of the study and waited. The commodore entered within a minute, followed by… Someone wearing Joe's coat? Autumn had foreseen one major way everything could go wrong: the admiral would drink the poison. What she didn't foresee was the admiral somehow having the exact same coat as her best friend, that implied... that he might have interacted with Joe at some point. Autumn couldn't see that it was missing the large black stain over the right breast from her corner.

The two commanders sat down at the table, as Autumn had hoped. Now it was just a matter of the commodore sipping his tea.

They began talking, each with strictly neutral tones. Autumn knew a lot of information would need context, but she gathered that the admiral was searching for someone, and that he expected the commodore to know where they were.

They kept talking. The poisoned tea was ignored, and growing cold, to Autumn's horror. If the trap wasn't sprung soon… then there would be no chance of manipulating this admiral.

And then the doors to the room were opened by a butler, and Joe stepped in. Autumn was seriously confused and worried for Joe, but remained cool as ice. Panic wasn't very ghostly, she'd decided.

"Urgent business with the Daelin armada!" said the butler.

The Commodore spoke "Well that's interesting indeed, as I'm speaking with Admiral Proudmoore at this exact moment."

Joe broke the silence "Sir, is that my jacket? Where did you find one like it?"

The Admiral frowned "I would ask you the same question, boy. State your business and name, and I'd better like what I hear."

Joe swallowed. Autumn could see he wasn't prepared to forge a lie. "My name is Joseph Derek Raynor, son of Confederate marshal and military commander James Raynor, and Archmage Jaina Proudmoore. I am here to seek aid, although I realise that I am not on good terms with the Commodore here."

The Admiral frowned deeper. "Tell me. I'm searching for my daughter, who's apparently been around this strange world. Can you prove to me, right now, that you are who you claim to be?"

Autumn considered leaving now. If a fight erupted, things could get messy. The Commodore butted in with "W-wait! He can't be telling the truth! He'll try to turn you against me! Don't listen to the impostor!"

"Silence! I am searching for my Daughter, you insufferable little man! If this boy is who I think he is, then you have a LOT of explaining to do if you want to see this town in one piece! If you threaten my family, you are as good as dead!" Said the Admiral.

Joe drew some glowing runes in the air "I learned these spells from my mother's library. I was only three when everyone disappeared, so I don't have much to remember her by. Only what I taught myself, and what she left at home."

The Admiral looked at Joe for a long time. "Tell me. Your mother killed very few people willingly, but there was one life she chose to end. Who was that?"

"Her father. I'm told she had to kill him for the sake of peace between two nations. But my guardian never told me what her father did that made peace so impossible. He just told me it still haunted her."

The Admiral closed his eyes. "You're real. Her magic was enough to prove it. I just wondered how I was remembered. Commodore, consider our negotiations over. I must speak with my grandson." Autumn smiled. Her task was complete. Now to stop the commodore killing them.

"You've forced me to do this! I can't let you leave alive, even at the cost of my city. I'll destroy you myself!" Said the Commodore.

Autumn decloaked and shot the commodore twice in the chest, causing him to fall over in surprise. She turned to her shocked allies. "You two, leave now. I do not believe we can kill him with just a gun. I'll buy you time." The Commodore was already clambering to his feet.

Joe looked panicked. "Autumn! I'll do it. You won't come back if you fail, I will. Get my grandfather to safety!"

Autumn wanted to doubt this, but her training books had always taught that emotions had to be put aside. "Yes. Admiral Proudmoore, we must leave now. If Joe says he'll come back, then he will." She grabbed Daelin's hand and pulled him from the room.

* * *

Autumn scrambled down the stairs as fast as possible, Daelin close behind. He shouted "Are you sure my grandson will be alright? I can't lose him! I CAN'T!"

"Yes! If Joseph says he'll come back, he will. We need to get you to safety now. He cares about his family more deeply than anyone else." Replied Autumn. A pair of guards with muskets rounded the corner, and Autumn dispatched one with one shot to the head, and actually knocked the rifle from the second's hands with her next shot. Without protection effective against bullets, magical or otherwise, guns were instant death. Despite all she'd heard about killing being difficult, soul-damaging and painful… she didn't even think twice. She didn't feel a thing when they fell to the ground.

"Nice aim, woman! How did you reload so fast?" Yelled Daelin, as they ran past the fallen guards.

Autumn was confused, before realising: He might have never seen a weapon as advanced as her pistol. He might have thought she'd fired a flintlock twice in one second. "It's semi-automatic, I only need to reload after eight shots!" Said Autumn. They burst out of the palace's doors, as alarm bells began to ring.

"The armada is this way! Quickly, before the town guard can mobilise!" Yelled Daelin, taking the lead. He was running quite fast for an old man in formal attire.

Autumn sprinted after him, as the bells blared and a few explosions rang out from the building. She didn't dare look.

Daelin reached the edge of the town, with Autumn close behind. Autumn could hear the thundering of an approaching army's feet, and dearly hoped that there was a boat ready for them. Her prayers were answered as she saw a three-masted ship already unfurling blue sails and lowering a plank to board. Daelin charged up the plank, Autumn jumped in, and the ship was already moving.

Autumn saw the rifleman from the corner of her eye. He rounded the corner just as the plank was retracted onto the deck. He levelled his gun. And Autumn knew...

The shot would hit Daelin.

She calmly pushed the old man over, as the rifleman fired. The bullet caught her in the chest, slowing down because of the makeshift armour Tom had supplied but not stopping altogether. Autumn stumbled, and sat down to mask the wound. She looked at it. Deep enough to kill her if she breathed wrong, but she wasn't dead yet. She frowned. "Ka. My mission is complete. Requesting evac." She said calmly.

Daelin stood up to see Autumn bleeding. "By the holy light, woman! Are you okay?!"

"No. But Joe comes first. Knowing him, he'll be out soon." Replied Autumn. She didn't feel as calm as normal, but her composure was holding even while she had a bullet mere centimetres from her heart.

The top floor of the imperial palace exploded. This had the side effect of causing the rest of the building to collapse, while one person who was extremely intact leapt from the crumbling top floor.

"Ah, there he is." Said Autumn, as the sun began to shine. She closed her eyes just before the blinding flash.

* * *

Autumn reappeared in front of Ka's throne. Her wound still persisted, and blood trickled out. "I return." Said Autumn.

"An impressive performance… but a true professional could have avoided getting injured. You have a lot to learn, heir." Said Ka.

"Not to be untoward, lord Ka, but I require medical support." Said Autumn. She wasn't going to last much longer.

Ka leaned towards Autumn, seeing the wound. "I've seen worse. Careless, aren't you? Take this." He tossed Autumn a regeneration globe. The bullet spat itself out and the wound scabbed, but Autumn still felt weak. "Now, your next task. The Spider queen, Neithis, is building an army to invade my realm. Your task is to find their weaknesses for my gladiators to exploit, and any other information that might be of use. Should the opportunity arise… sabotage them."

Autumn carefully knelt. "Yes, my lord." She was aware she had the right to be outraged Ka would ask this of her now. But she consciously chose to serve with her life. Because that path was the one that would help her friends, the people she was truly loyal to.

"The entrance is within my realm. Aide, guide her to the darkness. She may take up to eight hours to prepare." Commanded Ka.

The aide nodded. "Come on. There is a place you can sleep."

* * *

The hut was simple, with nothing more than a hammock for Autumn. It was enough. Autumn wasted no time in looking over her suit. The aide looked in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I need to be even harder to find. Not just hidden, but invisible like I was never there." Answered Autumn. She looked at circuits inside her suit.

There had to be something... Some way of increasing the power she fed the suit. Eventually, Autumn worked it out. Her plan was simple but effective.

She looked at none of the electronics, but the dynamo generator itself. It generated power when the handle was turned, and more was generated when the handle was turned faster… She just had to put some kind of system of gears into place. That would theoretically double, or triple or maybe more than quadruple the power output. The only problem was actually getting the parts for that…

"My lord. I wish to ask that you empower my dynamo with a system of gears. It will guarantee success." Said Autumn. Divine favour didn't seem like a terrible plan.

"At last… I am glad to see you learn something, heir. You WILL succeed. Not try. Your request is granted." The device flashed with sunlight. Autumn blinked in time.

The new gears were simple plastic, but they were a perfect fit. The Dynamo would effectively turn… Four times faster. Autumn wasted no time in climbing into the hammock. "Aide. Make sure I am undisturbed. I must rest."

"Yes ma'am. I will return when it is time for you to depart." Said the aide.

Seven hours and forty minutes later, Autumn was woken by the aide. She sprung out of the hammock and snapped to attention, wincing as her wound flared in pain. "I am ready to act. Please guide me to my target, aide." She said.

"Follow me, mercenary of the shadows. I will guide you to the tomb entrance." Said the aide.

The tomb entrance was much unchanged since the heroes had seen it. The main difference was that the doors were sealed. The aide looked to Autumn. "I hope you can turn the tides of battle. The lords are all exactly equal in power, every time Neithis invades with all her might, we are able to repel it with all ours. The lords are effectively six to six, as it stands. We may have an advantage with you. You may be able to tip this war in our favour."

"Six to six? We have five enemies." Said Autumn.

"They have the reinforcements of those from the _duat_. Those… imitations." Said the aide.

Autumn understood. "The bodies. They're keeping the war in balance."

"Yes. Now please… Break this cycle." Said the aide, pulling the tomb doors open.

* * *

The staircase down was dry and dark. Autumn crept down the stairs while invisible, barely able to make out unlit torches on the walls. Autumn eventually reached the bottom, a room with only the barest hint of light coming from a portal in the far wall. Autumn entered stealth, and walked through.

She found herself in pitch blackness. There was no light at all. So Autumn listened. She could hear something faintly… something above her. And something in front of her. Something moved.

Autumn crouched silently. There was a sound of something hitting the wall behind her. She moved forwards, unable to see a thing and listening with all she could. Eventually she decided she needed light to proceed. Autumn took out her laptop, and enabled the screen's brightness. Most people would have had a heart attack on the spot.

A giant spider was filling up at least three quarters of the room, and Autumn was beside it. She felt a primal fear within her, the overwhelming need to scream, but she didn't. She just felt her bruised heart speed up a little. She observed the room. Cobwebs, and blackened stones as if there was once a fire here… And one stone that was clean. Definitely the exit. Autumn reacted to the spider quickly. She threw her electric tripwire at it, and it seized up as it received a few thousand volts to the eye. She dived for the clear stone and hit it with her best kick, and despite the fact Autumn had the least physical strength of the heirs, the stone budged. Autumn kicked it again, and it broke away. Autumn slipped through just as the spider began to try and attack her.

* * *

Autumn found herself in a comparatively well-lit chamber, expansive and filled to the brim with nothing but spiders. It was a very good thing she wasn't arachnophobic. Spiders were filling the room like liquid. They seeped out of every crack in the walls. They crawled over the floors. And not all were the same. Autumn could see giant spiders, mechanical jewelled spiders, and more. Everything from 'Wash it down the drain' to 'make someone else deal with it' to 'Burn down the house'. And beyond. Autumn moved quickly. Her suit covered her body, but she had no desire to have even one spider near her face. She needed to find a weakness or cripple their armies.

Autumn looked around the room. She was moderately horrified when she looked up. The entire ceiling was coated in cobwebs. Thickly enough to hide where the ceiling actually was. Autumn decided she needed a plan, and quickly. Cobwebs wouldn't ignite without a lot of heat, so burning them was out. And besides, she wouldn't survive that. Autumn reached into her pocket. A familiar bottle found its way into her hand. Nail varnish remover. Well, it was a plan.

Autumn looked around for a place she could use her poison. She took note of a few sensitive looking clusters of… pods, that would probably not appreciate a bullet. Anything she could do now was necessary. Eventually, she came to a statue. It was of the Egyptian god Anubis, but she didn't know that. All she saw was a large statue of a dog-headed man, covered in spiderwebs. Autumn noticed that the bottom of the statue was held inside a pool of suspicious shadowy liquid. Spiders were crawling out continuously.

Without a better idea, Autumn uncorked her bottle of remover, and tipped it into the shadowy liquid. The reaction was worse and better than she's hoped.

There was an ear-splitting scream as the statue began to glow, and a purple orb formed between its hands. The spiders went wild, all dashing towards the statue as it began to rumble. Autumn was long-gone before the now-active core began to search for her, and the damage was done. It wasn't emitting spiders any more. Autumn took now as her time to strike against the pods that were likely eggs. Bullets were underwhelmingly effective. They must have had some kind of protective enchantment. Nonetheless, the spiders came running. Autumn wished she still had her tripwire. She could have led a lot of them through it.

It was then that Neithis sprung her trap. The cobwebs on the ceiling descended all at once, engulfing the room. Autumn was buried under a horrifying mass of web, and finally, she gave up. There would be no surviving this. She was correct. She could feel a gentle nip on her neck, and then… nothing.

* * *

Ka could feel Autumn pass. "Soldiers, you move now. Queen takes pawn… King takes queen."

* * *

Sixty gladiators appeared around Autumn, all burning with the sun's fire. The effects on the cobwebs were immediate. The webbing burst into flames as the fire scorched it, and once the first area was alight, the rest followed. Neithis's trap was her undoing, and the end of her forces and realm.

Eventually, the flames died out. The gladiators looked around. Only one smouldering being remained. Neithis stood, her true form revealed and weakened. She was the lady of fear. She had only taken the title of spider queen as a mask to her true powers. But fear is nothing to the confidence of victory. She was a shadowy mass, in which anyone who looked could see their darkest fear, their most ruinous futures. The aide drove his Khopesh through the centre of the mass, before the fear could claim him.

* * *

Ka could feel the shockwaves as Neithis fell. Power rippling wildly through all existence, but only a lord would know it was there. He had no doubts… the war was turning in his favour.

 **Author's notes: And an heir has fallen. Autumn will be missed. Neithis will be missed… significantly less. I hope.**

 **No reviews... Where are you guys?**

New talents:

Autumn

Level 4

Sabotage globe, activate to sabotage an enemy regen globe. When the globe is picked up, it deals damage equal to 10% of the target's max health and does not count towards quests or abilities. 45 sec cooldown.

Level 20

Mass override, Override takes control of all structures.

Invisible; invincible, Jammer passively reduces the vision radius of all enemy heroes by 15%, and enemy 'reveal' effects can no longer clear fog of war.

Stealth overload, Autumn is always unrevealable while in stealth, even when attacking. She takes 200% increased damage while stealthed.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Stairway to hell

Knives was in the middle of agility training. Speed was a difficult attribute to train, but it could be done. Knives vaulted over a wall, cut down a pair of target dummies and sprinted for her next target. Every lunge stretched her body to the maximum, and every cut tried to be faster than the last. Knives' new crystal daggers seemed to improve her power when she was only in proximity to them. They made her feel faster, more vindictive, more dangerous.

Li-Yen was improving her magical abilities. Target dummies glowed with primary colours as she shifted her charges around, solving random arrangements like puzzles. She frowned as she sent a red charge to the wrong target, while waiting a second before being able to move it again.

Llarian watched over the two. As an angel, he could never physically or mentally tire of fighting Beleth, but the immortals were not engaged in combat for the moment, due to a certain deal that had been struck.

Knives was to champion Llarian, and the virtues of Heaven: Valor, Justice, Wisdom, Hope and Fate…

But Li-Yen didn't have enough hope. Or fate on her side. And while she was no coward, she didn't truly exemplify valor in battle.

Knives had stepped in with her best attempt yet at wisdom. "Fight for hell. It's easy to sin, and I'll forgive you."

Li-Yen had had to agree, with no other alternative. She opted to champion Beleth, and use the seven sins to convince him to empower her. Greed, Wrath, Pride, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust and Envy. Li-Yen had partially wanted to be sick at the thought of intentionally being the worst person she could possibly be, but in a strange way… it was for the greater good.

"But why can't you go down this path? All these are easy compared to the abstracts of Wisdom and Fate, Knives?" Li-Yen had asked.

"I can't feel pride. I can only feel bitterness, regret and maybe _a little_ satisfaction when I kill things." Knives deadpanned.

Li-Yen sighed "You forgot hatred. Although you have also exhibited some disgust, contempt, malice and hostility, mostly to our foes."

And so, Li-Yen was being absolutely terrible, while Knives was strictly virtuous, despite their conversations.

* * *

The two of them stopped training for lunch. Knives sat cross-legged as Li-Yen ate.

"So… are you sure this is going to count? If I overdo any of these sins of yours… won't it affect my combat abilities?" Said Li-Yen.

"Yes, and in a way… I think I can use them to prove my wisdom. If I keep setting up situations that let you get jealous, or be greedy, or a glutton, without letting you overdo it… I think that can prove my wisdom, right?" Said Knives.

"We're still counting on me being jealous… I don't really like it, but I have to be strong. And I have to balance it. I can't let this path to power guide me."

Knives looked at Li-Yen "Oh, quit it with the 'I'm a noble sacrifice' rubbish. You're going to get stronger, that's all. Now come on, I have more training to do."

Li-Yen stayed sitting. "I've been thinking… I might need some kind of tool to use my magic more effectively. Some kind of wand, or maybe a tome?"

"Choose whichever one looks better on you." Knives said, leaping away.

Li-Yen walked into hell's side calmly. The area they trained in was eerily calm when there was no training, devoid of enemies and allies alike. Eventually, she reached the statue of Beleth. She knelt, considering what to say. She realised this was why she was chosen to receive power from Beleth. She could twist words like nobody else in the group, and pay homage to evil without ever risking her heart.

"Lord Beleth, I seek favour. Grant me new powers in the service of myself, a wand of valuable gold and rare gemstones to amplify the destruction I will visit upon my foes." She intoned.

The statue burned, and answered the call. " _Your request is of pride, greed and wrath… I am pleased._ "

The fire coalesced into a point at the front of the statue, and a beautifully gilded wand inset with amber was spat out. It was extremely extravagant, and Li-Yen knew it, but when she picked it up, she couldn't help but feel like a conductress holding a baton. She smiled, realising she could use that feeling.

"Excellent. I will play a symphony of destruction for all to be captivated by." Li-Yen said grandly.

She turned and walked away, hoping that her words were enough.

* * *

Her new wand boosted her ease of fighting immensely. Previously, she'd been struggling to switch her targets quickly, but now she could fry two or three key targets in a matter of seconds. She twirled the gilded stick with grace and confidence, flourishing her gestures.

Knives was still setting up opportunities for Li-Yen. She was careful to always show off her advantages of speed and focus around her, never letting her know of her disadvantages of physical strength and lack of judgement. It was tough to conceal, but Knives could see that she was making it easy for Li-Yen to be jealous. And all the while, Knives trained. Her daggers had cut apart more enemies in the last few days than anyone else, and she was learning how to deflect, evade and resist attacks with greater finesse than ever before.

A week passed. Li-Yen had made an art of talking to Beleth in a way that exaggerated her sins, and Knives was approaching the deadline to ask Llarian for his judgement and power. But one question still haunted them: Would it be enough to satisfy the lords?

Li-Yen and Knives were performing more advanced training now. They were fighting together against hordes of practice dummies that advanced towards the pair. Knives was fuelling herself with anger given form, tearing apart her foes savagely while never taking significant damage. Li-Yen gracefully and confidently twirled her wand, bringing crashing bolts of lightning to bear upon her foes. But they kept coming, as that was the point of this exercise: Stamina. Just endless enemies until the girls ran out of fight.

The problem was that Knives would never 'run out of fight'. Li-Yen was only starting to appreciate how much rage was locked inside Knives, even though it had manifested as her weapons. Li-Yen's mana reserves ran dry, and her electric charges flickered out, but Knives just kept going. She evaded blow after blow after blow. Her daggers were never more than a second away from a kill. Training dummies littered the area, slowly but surely forming a hill of broken wooden forms, magically beyond repair. They were not the strongest foes…but Li-Yen looked on in awe as the pile climbed higher. Taking on an army of _anything_ would be considered a suicide by most, but Knives was unstoppable.

Li-Yen checked the time. Knives had been going for almost fifteen minutes at this pace. The hill of broken foes was growing into a mountain. Eventually, something unexpected but inevitable happened: The pile of training dummies collapsed. They came tumbling down around Li-Yen, and as far and fast as Knives could jump, she couldn't fly. She reached the ground, and impacted with a thump. Li-Yen considered stepping in and continuing the fight on Knives' behalf, but realised she couldn't, for the sake of receiving power. So she let them come.

Once a dummy touched Knives, all of them disappeared, concluding the training. Knives had already been halfway to her feet, and was annoyed to find her endless supply of punching bags had been taken away. "Did you really have to let them come? I know you have to get sloth as a sin but come on, sweetling!" Knives twisted the word 'sweetling' until it was very, very sour.

"Well, getting you angry would make you more powerful, right?" Said Li-Yen with a small, smug smile.

Knives turned an odd shade of red. Before she could explode, however, she closed her eyes and said something in a different language.

Li-Yen looked at her sideways "What was that?"

"Thalassian."

"But what does it _mean?_ "

"'Gods, give me patience, because if you give me strength I'll kill them'. I sure hope that learning it counts as wisdom, because it's a good quote."

"It does indeed, mortal." Rang out a new voice. Llarian. "Your time available draws to a close, as the war ticks on. Return to my altar, and you shall be judged."

Beleth followed "Mortal champion of hell! It is time for you to prove your worth. Return!"

Li-Yen looked at Knives nervously. "I… well, good luck my friend. If I die now… it was nice to know all of you."

Knives brushed a hand over her sleeve "Don't sweat it. At worst, you can just warp away. Get going." She turned and walked away. Li-Yen swallowed and walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

Li-Yen knelt before the altar of Beleth once again. "Lord Beleth, I have lavished the sins." Lust. "I have championed hell against heaven, and proved we are superior" Pride. "I will crush our foes with utmost joy, and own all that survives, feasting on my spoils while the conquered suffer for opposing." Wrath, Greed, Gluttony. "Yet I still require more power! I cannot abide being weaker than any warrior of heaven!" Envy. "Empower me, and I will never need lift more than a finger to doom my foes." Sloth.

The gigantic statue of Beleth did something unexpected.

It came to life, stepping off its pedestal and unfurling batlike wings. Hellfire arced around his two colossal blades. Li-Yen was terrified. If he'd seen through her lies… If she'd played on her actions too hard…

"Pain, Lies, and Hatred… you are a perfect candidate…" Said Beleth. "You only require the taint of death. Champion Yen… You have but one last trial to prove your worthiness."

"I will complete it, Lord."

"Kill your opponent." Beleth stabbed his blades into the floor, and Li-Yen found herself in the central arena of the battlefield of eternity.

Li-Yen looked around. The smoke vents and terrain could easily be concealing a foe. They had to be. Everything was far too quiet. Neither the endless flames of hell or the soothing waters of heaven could be heard from the central area. Li-Yen stepped forwards carefully, checking the smoke vent. She couldn't see anyone…

The first thing she knew of her attacker was the knife in her back. Li-Yen fell forwards in shock, coming down awkwardly to see her opponent and friend for the last time. Knives' face was stone. Unreadable.

"I… thought I knew you." Choked Li-Yen. And her strength failed her.

* * *

Knives was silent for a moment as she looked at Li-Yen. She looked upwards "It is done, Llarian. Fate favours me."

"You are proven beyond doubt. Mortal no more. Rise, hero."

Knives felt her anger reaching breaking point as golden light bathed her.

"I killed my friend for power." She said after a minute. "I didn't even hesitate." She said to nobody in particular. The battlefield felt cold and dark, all of a sudden.

Knives stood where she was.

And waited.

And waited…

"Do I value vengeance so much?" She finally said. "What have I let myself… become?"

She sat down by Li-Yen. "Llarian. In prophecy, all ten of us are to stand before the gateway to the final challenge. But if one of us has fallen how can that come to pass? If this prophecy is impossible… Then I must and will take responsibility. If you know where my ultimate foe is… send me there."

Knives closed her eyes.

She opened them at the end of the worlds.

 **Author's notes: Two dead, seven ascended. Jack will be the star of the next chapter, and then the final fights will start.**

 **Mpopl2: Welcome to the story! Simon and Lewis had their names taken from the Yogscast because I had writer's block at the time, but that does make them a reference I guess. As for Autumn and Li-Yen… well, I won't be treating death casually.**

New talents

Knives

Level 1

Adrenaline Block, while at or above 5 stacks of Hyperactivity, gain 50 physical armour.

Evasive blows, while at maximum Hyperactivity, gain evasion and reduce your basic attack damage by 50%.

Level 13

Resistive mind, gain 40 spell armour. Increase your basic ability cooldowns by 1 second.

Demonic rage, Knives burns nearby enemy heroes for 0.5% of their max HP every second.

Legacy of the hunter, dealing more than X damage to a single target in 3 seconds causes them to take 25% extra damage for X seconds.

Level 16

Emotional drain, Activate to cause Knives' basic attack to heal her for 100% of the damage dealt for 5 seconds. 45 second cooldown.

Discipline of focus, while above 50% of your max HP, your Hyperactivity stacks grant an additional 5% cooldown reduction.

Greater blades, basic attacks cleave for 70% damage. Every 3rd basic attack against a target deals 100% bonus damage.

Level 20

R1 up: Energy explosion, Energy burst increases ability power by 50% for 3 seconds.

R2 up: Deep grudge, Vendetta's bonuses do not dissipate until two takedowns are secured.

Five virtues, Activate to become unstoppable for 1 second. Automatically activates if Knives is stunned. 30 second cooldown.

Li-Yen

Level 4

Red anger, Red lightning also removes 5 mana from affected enemies per hit.

Blue sorrow, Blue lightning deals 50% more damage to enemies it is cast onto directly.

Yellow joy, Yellow lightning grants allied heroes 25 spell armour if it is cast on them directly.

Level 7

Symphony of magic, your basic abilities no longer have a cooldown.

Protective charge, activate to give an ally a green charge for 5 seconds. If they take damage from any enemy while they have a green charge, the enemy is stunned for 0.75 seconds and the charge is removed. 60 second cooldown.

Level 13

Specialised casting, your abilities ignore spell armour. Li-Yen can no longer perform basic attacks.

Level 20

R1 up: Lightning never hits the same place twice?, Lightning strike's cooldown is reduced to 2 seconds.

R2 up: Eye of the storm, Your abilities always hit up to 2 targets, and Lightning storm increases targets to 3.

False sin, activate to refill all mana and reduce your heroic ability's cooldown by 10 seconds.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Dead, not buried

While the other eight heirs had gone to the realms of different lords, Jack had been the one to remain with the Gravekeeper. Each other child had had something that would resonate with another lord, apart from Jack.

"Mr Gravekeeper, what do I need to do? I can fight, and I can follow your orders. That's all I need, right?" He asked, while they looked over the mines.

The Gravekeeper leaned on a shovel. "Truthfully, I can't expect more from you… but I just know you're capable of more than I can see. Your hidden potential… It's deeply buried, heir, but there is more than any of your friends."

"So how can I unlock it? I'll take great responsibilities to gain great power, and I'll use my power for those I trust."

"I am unsure. But… those you trust? Not for good?" Said The Gravekeeper.

Jack looked ahead determinedly "Yes. I know that the people I trust will be able to achieve greater good than I ever will if I just do what I think is right. He's not here now, but when Joe was our leader, I kept thinking how amazing it was that he could convince other people to join. Brains are not my strength; I'm just not silly enough to think they are, so they aren't my weakness."

"Interesting. Well, I think I have some ideas for you, then. But first, do you trust _me_?"

"Yes. You didn't have to save our lives. If you wanted us dead, or even had some kind of negative side, then we'd have seen that."

"Excellent. Because your tasks are going to involve no small degree of shock. I need you to help me prevent two deaths." Said The Gravekeeper. "Of your remaining friends, I know that some are going to die before they can become heroes. But I am a literal master of death. If you can bring me their bodies when they fall, I can revive them."

Jack faced The Gravekeeper worriedly "Who will die? Please, send me now! I won't lose anyone else, for Joe!"

"I am unsure. But death is coming for two of your number. I cannot send you yet. The deaths cannot be averted, only reversed. Until then, you must train. You must train as hard as you can, because no other being can revive the fallen apart from the archangel of hope. And she is missing."

"Then I'll get training."

Jack's training was furious and unrelenting. The Gravekeeper watched as he ran and blinked and dashed, punching the stuffing out of training dummies left and right. Eventually, The Gravekeeper was bored of watching the dummies get knocked around. "Jack! I will fight you myself. A sparring match, of course. It will improve your defence rather than your attack." The lord walked into the training area.

"When you say fight, do you mean boxing or using abilities?"

"Use your power, Jack. I'm sure I can take it." The Gravekeeper smiled, hands in his pockets.

Jack leapt forwards, trying to open and close the fight in one blow. The Gravekeeper sidestepped and a shovel materialised in his hands. While not the most ordinary of weapons, the blade was sharp and the shaft was reinforced. It was just as deadly as an axe. Jack weaved under the Gravekeeper's quick swing, punching him in the chest and leaping back. The Gravekeeper moved in, parrying a punch and bringing the blade down towards Jack's head.

Jack teleported behind the Gravekeeper, and made a heavy swing at the lord's back. With amazing speed, The Gravekeeper moved the shaft of the shovel to deflect the worst of it, and stepped forwards, turning around. Jack went on the offensive, jabbing quickly at areas where the guard was weaker, and eventually found the opening he was looking for. Jack evaded the spade by a mere hair's width, and slugged the Gravekeeper with a full-force uppercut. The move impacted hard enough to knock his foe two metres into the air, but the fight was far from over. In midair, The Gravekeeper gestured at Jack, and a wave of bones came from the floor. Jack did his best to jump over them, but still felt his shields spark as they deflected the attack.

The Gravekeeper landed on both feet and continued to cast spells. A flurry of bones struck Jack, and he was forced to shield himself with his own power to avoid taking more damage. Jack ran forwards, dived under a swing of the shovel and landed on his hands, rolling and springing off the floor in a full-body kick. The Gravekeeper blocked the attack with his weapon, and threw Jack into the air. Unlike Jack, he followed through by jumping up and throwing Jack to the floor as one might dunk a basketball.

Jack coughed on the floor "I concede." He couldn't feel anything broken, but his back was going to look like one giant bruise later.

"You fought well. I expected to fell you within the first few seconds. Come now, take my hand… Oh?" The Gravekeeper looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow. His shirt had been moved upwards by getting dunked on the floor. "Why don't you have a bellybutton?"

"A what?" Said Jack, climbing to his feet.

"A bellybutton. You know, that one thing everyone has." Said the Gravekeeper.

Jack looked extremely confused. "I have literally no idea what you're talking about, there are no buttons or anything like that on me!"

The Gravekeeper frowned "I have some of Cook's science books at home. You can read them later. For now, you must heal. Throwing you to the ground may have been excessive."

"Sure. You can tell me exactly what I'm supposed to have on my stomach that I don't have, and how that makes me so special while we wait." Jack stretched his arms.

The Grave keeper clicked his fingers, and a well filled with clear water rose from the ground. "Drink some. As for the fact you're missing a feature of most people's bodies… Well, I'm not really sure how to start?"

Jack cupped his hands and scooped up some healing water. He gulped it down and looked at The Gravekeeper. "Well, what does it do?"

"It… Doesn't really do anything, I suppose. It's just a wound left behind from birth. Not having one seems a touch unlikely. It would imply that you were not born naturally at all. Tell me heir, who were your parents again?"

"Tassadar and Tracer. What are you saying, Gravekeeper?"

The Gravekeeper scratched his chin "Interesting… fascinating, in fact. You are aware that the protoss are absolutely unable to crossbreed with any other species? And that your mother had no interest in men? But even so, you have the powers of both… I don't think you were born, Jack. I think you were designed."

Jack stared at his hand as if he expected to find it was made of plastic. "Designed how? What do you think I am?"

"I think that rather than a natural birth of any kind, you were genetically planned out from the start, and created through technology. Records do exist of a Protoss-Zerg hybrid created by artificial means, so it stands to reason that a human hybrid could be achieved. Of course, this is all theory. We would need to ask your parents to know for sure." Mused the Gravekeeper.

Jack shugged "Well, I won't let it bother me! I'm not going to save anyone by slipping into confusion. Come on, I'm ready for another round of fighting." Jack raised his fists.

"Good focus. There is time for this after everyone is safe." The Gravekeeper dropped into fighting stance.

* * *

Two days passed. Jack was unable to beat The Gravekeeper in single combat, but the rate he improved at was almost absurd. He went from a one-dimensional fighting style to making use of all the area around himself, and his raw power built steadily too. Every day he trained from dawn until noon, and then healed himself and waited for the inevitable deaths. The first day passed without incident. Jack spent the afternoon focusing and waiting, but nobody was endangered.

The second day brought the first death. The Gravekeeper burst into the room and shouted "Autumn has fallen! Heir, prepare to be sent to them!"

Jack snapped to attention "Yes sir!" And was whisked away.

The cavern was a truly nightmarish place. Jack couldn't see a thing beyond the thick mass of cobwebs and the stench of the arachnids was unbelievable. "Autumn is in there somewhere." He whispered to himself.

It was at this exact moment that Ka's response came through. A mere metre to the front-right of Jack, the forces of the sun god dropped in. Jack's thoughts went from ' _Who?_ ' to ' _They're allies_ ' to ' _My eyes!_ ' when all of them ignited with sunfire in the previously dark room. Jack dropped to his knees covering his face and burning, as the warriors ran in further. Jack forced himself to stand after a few seconds, and looked ahead, partially. His right eye hurt too much to open. The sunfire hadn't truly been as hot as the sun, since the floor hadn't been vaporised, but it had been enough to burn Jack through his shields. He slapped out a flame on his knee and walked forwards. _'_ _I have to find Autumn first. This heat would destroy her body.'_

Jack focused, using his psionic abilities to search for other life in the area. He stopped for a moment, realising Autumn was dead now, but then continued realising that there would be more spiders near her body. He could sense a few clusters of weak life, one to his left, two in front of him. It was just a matter of reaching them before Ka's forces. The one to his left was just a few metres from a cluster of spiders, so Jack opted to check that area first.

This decision made all the difference, as he ripped away the webs desperately he was able to uncover Autumn. She wasn't breathing, but otherwise she could merely have been asleep. There were no visible wounds on her body. "Gravekeeper! Get us out!" He said firmly.

He didn't leave for a few heart-stopping moments. Then, the two of them were lifted out of the dimension. But it wasn't the usual power of the Gravekeeper. It felt unusually familiar, but not in a good way…

* * *

Jack and Autumn tumbled into the realm of the Haunted mines, but when Jack looked over it, there were a few new faces in the form of the Raven Lord's entire army. "How did they even get here?" Said Jack. Autumn didn't respond. "Oh, Right. I better get you to the Gravekeeper, and fast."

Jack had never envisoned himself carrying an ally's body through a realm under attack with one eye closed before, but here he was. The mines were adjacent to a town, and the town was heavily fortified, but the army was crashing against the fortifications. Jack sprinted through the silent, weather-worn streets towards the mines, where the cottage was. He was having trouble judging how far away things were without his right eye, that he was beginning to suspect had been blinded. Autumn was thankfully incredibly skinny with lightweight gear, since otherwise Jack might have been slowed by weight. As it was, Jack never dropped below his absolute maximum speed.

He came up to the cottage, and kicked the front door off its hinges without bothering to knock. The Gravekeeper was waiting in the corner. "Jack, you're just in time. We're being invaded by the Raven Lord, and it's bad. He's actually moved his dimension itself to attack us, putting his fortifications next to ours."

"Revive Autumn, quick!" Shouted Jack.

"Of course. I will need a few minutes though… so defend my town. If the Raven lord's forces breach the walls, then this war is as good as lost. " Replied the Gravekeeper, picking up his shovel from the corner of the room.

Jack blinked out of the door, back to the town. He could already see siege projectiles crashing into the town's walls, damaging the retaliating cannons. A core identical to those overlooking the mines was enchanting the walls with magic to keep them strong, but to Jack's absolute horror a wave of projectiles shaped after raven heads flew over and crashed into the core. It wasn't destroyed, but it was damaged. Jack ran on, into the combat outside.

The Gravekeeper was digging a hole. Normally, to dig a hole the size he needed would have taken a long time, but every motion of the shovel gouged out a huge chunk of soil, as if it were no tougher than cotton. After just a minute, a six foot deep hole was outside the cottage. The Gravekeeper walked inside, retrieving Autumn. The spider's bite on her neck had turned a sickly purple. Carefully, the lord lowered her body into the grave, and began burying it with his shovel.

Jack didn't ask the guards to let him join the fight. The first they knew was that there was a boy in apparently superficial golden armour tearing into their foes in their stead. For just a few moments, they looked on as Jack sent his foes flying left and right. Unfortunately, Jack was at a large disadvantage. His right eye was still blind, and even though Jack had opened it, it wasn't working. Attackers were capitalising on this in a big way, helped by the fact Jack had broken one critical rule of combat: position yourself well. Jack was at least fifteen metres from his allies, with his psionic blink ability freshly exhausted. This meant he was bearing the brunt of an entire enemy squadron, and the problem is that no matter how powerful you are… if you fight against vastly superior numbers without a way to deal with them, then you're taking on a fight many, many times worse than it should be. Jack was learning the hard way just how quickly a strong fighter could be overcome by numbers.

He knocked one shadowy enemy flat, and five more were there to cover it. He couldn't destroy his foes in one blow, and even if he could have they massively outnumbered him. The town guards didn't want to rush in and engage the enemy, because they'd be sacrificing their own security to do so.

The armies of The Raven Lord were all armed with the same weapons: swords of a black crystal, or bows that were recognisably mahogany. An arrow found its mark, past Jack's shields and hit him in the centre of the chest. It was just stopped by the bone of the ribcage with a crack, but it still shocked Jack into realising he had to back off, NOW. Jack ran backwards, dodging a second arrow and deflecting a third, before reaching the lines of the Gravekeeper's army. All were skeletons, but they were armed with a myriad of weapons. Jack saw swords, axes, lances, clubs, bows and crossbows, and even magical staves and a few unarmed in priest's robes. Yet despite this, they held a perfectly orderly formation in lines, organised to minimise weak spots. Lances were placed at equal intervals, to help break charges, and the bows were all positioned at vantage points in the terrain to extend their reach. Jack stumbled back towards the lines, which ushered him through quickly, moments before the wild forces of the Raven lord crashed against them. The Raven Lord's forces were almost exclusively infantry, but they outnumbered the Gravekeeper's forces ten to one. Yet the Gravekeeper's lines were holding fast. Jack ripped out the arrow from his bone, wincing a little but glad to see it had only gone in for about a centimetre, and was healed by one of the priests. With renewed power, he focused on finding himself an opening.

The Gravekeeper knelt at the freshly turned soil. He was silent for a moment, before speaking. "Here rests Autumn Terra, birth date unknown. Loyal soldier, devoted friend, and ingenious worker. In the name of The Storm, I must interrupt your rest. Rise once more, heir. Rise, and serve not me, not your allies, but yourself."

The ground churned. Autumn was spat from the floor, as clean as if she were never buried, the spider's bite still filled with poison on her neck. She gasped for breath. "What..?"

"Hush, now… I have revived you, to the best of my abilities. You will feel quite unwell for a while, so please take some time to become accustomed to your new self. Reviving mortals… is not a perfect art." Said The Gravekeeper.

Autumn's hand immediately flew to her wrist. She held a finger there for a moment before she said "I have no pulse." But the Gravekeeper was already gone. She realised her skin was cold, the leftover warmth of her body seeping out. She was by all definitions, a walking corpse.

* * *

Jack's opportunity presented itself in the form of the Gravekeeper's arrival. The lord's appearance greatly bolstered his forces in strength, and they slowly began to push into the seething masses of The Raven Lord. Jack saw one unlucky skeleton fall as it's lance snapped and the dark foes tore it apart, and that was Jack's opportunity. He blinked into the gap in the lines and began throwing punches, feet as light as a feather and fists of steel. Unlike before, he was now in an amazing spot, enemies unable to gang up on him. He caught himself advancing too fast, and to his own pride, pulled back for the rest of the forces. The tides had definitely turned in favour of the Gravekeeper, but it ended abruptly.

The Raven Lord sprung his trap, and the effect was immediate.

 _The Raven Lord himself_ threw off a black cloak he'd been wearing to conceal himself among his own forces, spreading his wings and rising ten metres into the air before the Gravekeeper's archers could react. He held his cane deftly, and threw it with lethal accuracy at the Gravekeeper. The Gravekeeper was not so feeble as to let the attack hit him, but it knocked his shovel cleanly from his hands. The Raven lord had been charging power for the entire fight, and his army had let him get close enough to completely surprise the Gravekeeper. Feathers were launched like bullets from his wings, each shimmering with power, and without any chance to prepare a good defence the Gravekeeper was forced to summon bones to encase himself. This was where the Raven Lord outplayed him, as the feathers weren't even aimed at the Gravekeeper. Around a dozen of the Gravekeeper's archers were felled, and several of his frontline fighters were struck and destroyed. The Gravekeeper's lines instantly buckled, as the Raven Lord's forces began to drive into the weak point. Jack was forced to make a split-second decision: Charge for the Raven Lord and try to defeat him here and now, or fall back. The skeleton forces were crumbling around him, it was time to choose. Jack wanted to fight. He wanted to leap up there and take on the Raven Lord, but it was suicide and Jack knew it. He'd defeated both Sung and Joe while alone, with an army behind him there was no way. Jack blinked to the Gravekeeper's side.

"We've got to retreat. Your army has been wiped out." Said Jack.

The Gravekeeper kept his eyes on the Raven Lord, grabbing his shovel "There's no way you can hope to escape as it is. Jack. You must take Autumn and flee this realm. The war is coming to a close in just a few days, as I hoped, but not in our favour. Go. GO!" He shouted. Jack was torn for a few precious moments. He took one more look at the Gravekeeper, seeing his dusty suit, the mud on the heels of his boots, his grey hair and an askew hat. Jack ran.

He found Autumn in the streets of the town on the way to the cottage, much to his relief. "Autumn! Thank whatever gods there are, you're alive!" Said Jack.

"I am not alive. Jack." Said Autumn in a monotone.

"What do you mean? You're right here. Anyway, we need to flee. The Gravekeeper's army has lost. He wants us to try and escape to another world." Said Jack.

"I have no life signs. I am a corpse moved by magic. To leave this world, we should use the artifacts in the Gravekeeper's house." Autumn's voice was emotionless. But she still had all of Autumn's skill at moving quietly, Jack noted. He followed her back to the house.

Jack burst in, scanning the room "How do we leave this place? Can anything move us out?"

"We may use one of the Gravekeeper's hats. They will take us away." Said Autumn.

"Good. Now… What did you mean you're a corpse? Autumn, please tell me that you're still… you." Jack's voice cracked.

Autumn picked a hat from the shelf in the corner "I am Autumn Terra. This body is my original body. It was killed by spider venom. I was resurrected to serve myself. I am unsure what my purpose is now. I also remember several mental nuances that I no longer seem to possess." She spoke exceptionally clearly, but her voice was still devoid of life.

Jack held back tears "Y-you're… still Autumn, okay?"

"Yes. I am Autumn Terra." Said Autumn.

"Then… let's go. If we stay here much longer, who knows what'll happen." Said Jack, placing a hand on the hat. Tears fell from his left eye, dripping onto the fabric. And they were whisked away to another world.

* * *

The Gravekeeper's army was erased within a matter of seconds. The Gravekeeper sighed, and held his shovel. "Raven Lord! Know that you can kill me, but you cannot ever hope to kill me without a fight!" He shouted. It was no inspiring battlecry. It wasn't going to intimidate anyone. But it was a promise from the Gravekeeper to himself. And he liked to think he was good at keeping promises.

One versus at least five thousand. The Gravekeeper let his foes come. He was on the high ground here. Bones erupted from the floor, each crippling dozens upon dozens of enemies, and unlike the fights he'd had with Jack where he'd held back, this time every swing of his shovel spelt doom for two or even three enemies. The battlefield was turning into a mass grave for both armies. But then, the underlings stopped coming, and The Raven Lord swooped down, cane returned to his hand. He said nothing, but smirked as he entered combat.

The Raven Lord made a quick lunge, and the Gravekeeper parried. The Gravekeeper tried to go on the offensive, slashing in quick arcs with his shovel, but The Raven Lord dodge each with infuriating smugness before striking the Gravekeeper across the cheek with his cane. He leapt off the floor and pelted his target with a quick volley of feathers, before coming down in a sharp kick. The Gravekeeper felt the feathers tear into him, but blocked the kick and threw The Raven Lord back, summoning bones for him to land on. The Raven lord crashed into the bones, but his minions surged forwards, forcing The Gravekeeper to parry and defend himself, and in that blink of an eye, the Raven Lord was behind him, cane in hands.

The Raven Lord drove the cane into the Gravekeeper's back. It pierced through, and the Gravekeeper gripped his shovel tighter in pain. The Raven Lord's underlings swarmed him, and The Gravekeeper knew it was time for his last act. With a great shout, the Gravekeeper's power went as far as it could, pushing the limits of his form and turning the cane's wound into a gaping hole. The Gravekeeper did not bleed. With one mighty swing of his shovel, he cut a great arc through the Raven Lord's surrounding forces, and then he sprung from the cane, twisting in midair and bringing his shovel down for one last blow. It was faster than even the Raven Lord could dodge. He brought up his cane to defend himself, and for one brief moment, knew exactly what would happen to him. He'd done the same thing to his last foe, after all. The shovel cut through the cane like it wasn't even there, this time striking the Raven lord across the face and continuing down, scoring a deep wound from the top of his chest to halfway down his stomach. The Raven lord was knocked back by the impact, falling down incapacitated.

The Gravekeeper was dead before he hit the floor. The amount of power he was using in conjunction with his wounds didn't just kill him, it vaporised him. The Raven lord saw a bright light for just a second, before all that remained of his enemy was a charred shovel, burning on the ground. The Raven Lord forced himself to his feet, his cloak and armour torn in two.

"We claim victory." He announced.

* * *

Jack and Autumn found themselves on an island, with a run-down town of wooden buildings in front of them. Jack looked around. A huge number of ships were docked at a port to Jack's left, and he could see more of the town to his left. He just sighed. "I'm still not good enough."

Autumn didn't respond.

Jack looked forwards "I should push on. The lord of this land will want to be told what has happened." He walked towards the town. "Are going to come with me? Autumn?" Autumn was standing where she'd appeared, staring forward.

Jack waited for her to say something, but she didn't. "Well, I've really got to check this town, and I don't want to leave you somewhere you might get in trouble. Come with me? I'll… uh… carry you if you can't walk!"

"I am capable of walking. Are you tethered to me by instruction?" Said Autumn.

Jack looked at her carefully "No, I stay near you because I care. Please come on, I don't think I could ever face any of our friends again if I just left you here."

"I will accompany you into town." Said Autumn.

The town's buildings may not have been well-built, and the skies were grey, but the town still bustled with trade. Shacks offered to sell Jack at least twenty types of trinkets, all kinds of swords and guns, and exotic fruits that Jack would have actually been tempted to try if he'd had any money. Jack wandered through the town, looking for a building that might have contained a lord or at least someone important enough to know the lord.

Eventually Jack gave up in frustration and turned to a shopkeeper. The first thing he noticed was that the shopkeeper was a skeleton. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed earlier, but in fact at least three quarters of the town were not human. There were skeletons, blood elves, goblins, small eldritch horrors, and so forth.

"What be your business?" Said the shopkeeper. "Got the best rum in town here!"

Jack refocused on the shopkeeper "Sorry to disappoint, but I need some directions! You got any idea where I can find this place's most powerful being?"

"For enough coin, yah! How much ya got?" The shopkeeper possibly grinned. He didn't really have enough flesh not to.

Jack attempted to bargain "None. I can work if you need something done though?"

"Ahh, quit wastin' me time! Or I'll send ya to the lord meself!" snarled the skeleton, pointing to a giant ship in the docks, opposite the store.

Jack marvelled at the sheer stupidity of the store owner. "See you never!" He said, walking off.

The docks, unlike the rest of the town that would probably fall over in a stiff breeze, were well-fortified. Cannons lined the shore, and the jettys were bricks heavily encased in steel and rope, it was more efficient for a fleet to just sail off a waterfall than try and assault these docks. Of course, the other sides of the island were unguarded for some reason.

The largest ship seemed ghostly to Jack. The sails were just a little ethereal, and the hull… Jack could have sworn there were holes in the hull. It was resting in the very middle of the docks, like a dark jewel in a fallen crown. "Well, I'm going aboard to look for the lord. You can come with me if you want to, or you can stay here." Jack said to Autumn.

"I will remain here if there is no reason I must come with you." Said Autumn.

Jack walked up the gangplank. In exactly two seconds, a skeletal pirate was pointing a musket at him.

"Who are you?" The skeleton rasped.

Jack stopped "I'm… Jack Oxton. I'm looking for someone important."

The skeleton kept itself fixed on Jack while calling "Cap'n. Do I let 'im aboard?" Despite slack speech, the guard was actually quite competent. His gaze didn't falter from anything he could perceive as a threat.

Another voice rang out "Aye. Been waiting for these two to turn up! Get 'em on board, Ribeye!"

The skeleton, now known as Ribeye, stepped aside. "Bring your ally with you. The Cap'n wants 'er present too."

Jack hesitated "I'll try and convince her." He jogged down to the docks. "Autumn, the pirate captain wants to see both of us. Do you think it's a trap? And will you come with me?"

"It is not a trap. If they wished to capture you, they could have done so by collapsing the gangplank and thus causing you to fall into the net below. If my presence is required to advance your quest, then I will accompany you." Autumn said in her monotone.

"Thanks. I… hope you get your personality back soon." He blurted.

* * *

The decks of the pirate flagship were impressively clean and organised. Jack looked around to see crew working to clean the cannons, and a few more carrying crates. Ribeye tapped Jack on the shoulder. "The Cap'n is waiting at th' bow a th' ship. Don't keep 'im waiting." Said the skeleton, pointing to the ship's front.

"Thanks. Let's go, Autumn." Jack walked towards the ship's front. Then he stopped in shock, and ran the rest of the way.

"JOE! You're alive! You're alive!" He shouted. Jack ran across the decks as fast as he could, towards the three people at the very end of the ship, two in navy coats, the other a dark jacket. Jack skidded to a halt behind them. "Is it really you?!"

Joe turned around, disbelief on his face "Jack? Oh, Jack you're safe! I was so worried when captain Blackheart told us the Gravekeeper had fallen… I'm so sorry for what I've put you through."

Jack shrugged "It-it was nothing…" He burst into tears. "No, it was everything. But it's okay now, r-right?" He hugged Joe around the waist. "I thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead."

Joe knelt, and returned Jack's embrace "I nearly died. But I came back. Jack… I need to know, is everyone else safe?"

Jack sighed a little, and held on for a few seconds while trying to stop sobbing. "Everyone wanted to get more power to avenge you. Even Li-Yen. They're all in different realms. I don't know if they're okay… but Autumn is- she died, and the gravekee- An allied lord brought her back. But she's not quite the same."

Joe dipped his head "I see. I'm going to find her then, Jack. Do you know where she is?"

"I am here" Said Autumn.

Joe looked up, and gently let go of Jack "Are you okay, Autumn? I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused…"

"I am currently under no ailments. I recall the pain, but I do not feel it. I also recall you had no choice but to act as you did. It is therefore incorrect for you to blame yourself." Said Autumn flatly.

Joe looked at her solemnly. "I understand." He took a deep breath "I will respect your words… but I could have averted that outcome. If I'd just been smarter, or stronger, then I could have created another choice. Now… I want both of you to meet someone."

Daelin stepped forwards. "Greetings, heirs. My name is Daelin Proudmoore. I am glad my grandson found such loyal friends."

Jack stood up, wiping his tears away. "I'm Jack junior Oxton. Your grandson is a great friend to us all."

Blackheart spoke up "Ah, not to ruin the moment… but I am captain Blackheart, scourge of the imperial seas and remaining lord of this world. I stayed sober just for you two, because I've got some bad news."

Jack sighed. "It's the Gravekeeper, right?"

"Aye. He's gone, lad. The Raven Lord got him, and his land is under his control. The mines are being worked for him now, and the town's enslaved inside. But he's injured. Word is that the Gravekeeper got one last blow in that nearly killed the blaggard. If we move in before he can heal, maybe we can beat him."

Joe took his turn to speak "But I think we'll need all of us, and with more power. Jack, do you know how one of us can become a hero?"

Jack nodded "Yes. We were all trying to become heroes anyway, to avenge you. The others are all in different realms, already trying to become heroes. But Joe… one of them is fated to die. Autumn was meant to die, and the Gravekeeper was able to let her cheat death, but now that he's gone… What can we do?"

"We have to trust in Sandy's prophecy. That all ten of us will be present at the final challenge. Because at the very least, it means we'll get to see them again. But still, I'll get right to planning for this. Death isn't always the end, as long as the mind lives on." Said Joe.

"So what's the plan?" Said Jack "For my friends, I'll do anything."

Joe looked at him "You need to train, you and Autumn both. I'm not taking you back into combat until you're heroes."

Blackheart scoffed "Yer a little late, Joe. I've already given them the power!"

"What? I thought that was only for when you were totally satisfied?" Said Joe.

"I'm easy enough to please. Jack here fought through an entire army with an eye missing, and the girl stuck with you even through death. Can't argue there!"

Joe smiled "Then we need to start rallying our forces. It's time to take the fight to The Raven Lord. And… Autumn? Did… becoming a hero help with your emotions? "

"No. I will remain in this state. My instructions were to serve myself, and thusly I ought remove that which I perceive as a threat. I will aid you." Said Autumn.

"I see. Well, know that I will always care about you, no matter how you are. If you ever have a problem you can't solve, know that I will be happy to help. Now, let's get going. The Raven Lord will move against the others soon." Said Joe.

 **Author's notes: Sorry about the wait! I've been dealing with some stuff that's very time consuming. Also, I would like to say now: Although I'm trying not to treat death 'Cheaply' (Can be undone like it was never there, resurrections left right and centre), I am making it possible for characters to keep fighting after they die, as planned. And Jack's right eye has indeed been permanently blinded.**

 **Also, about my other Heroes fic. It's not dead, but writing Alarak is HARD. I've rewritten it five times and it still doesn't feel like him.**

 **Mpopl2: Well, not to spoil anything but they're NOT going to be happy. At all. Especially since becoming a hero while undead prevents Auriel ever restoring them to their original form…**

 **Skullypirate: Glad to see you again! No need to apologise, I'm just happy to know that you're still reading. I was aiming to make Autumn's death reflect that of an assassin's target: quiet and swift. And yes, Ka never saw her as more than a bishop that had to be sacrificed to draw out a queen. As for Li-Yen… we'll catch up next time.**

New talents

Jack

Level 1

Void shields, QUEST, block 4000 damage with shield dispersal. REWARD, increase the amount shielded by 100%

Astral projection, Psionic blink grants a shield equal to 10% of your max health for 4 seconds after use.

Boxer's training, QUEST, hit 20 heroes with gauntlet swing, increasing its damage by 6 each time. REWARD, hitting an enemy hero with gauntlet swing grants Jack 20% increased movespeed for 4 seconds.

Level 4

Float like a butterfly, Psionic blink ignores terrain, and grants 1 charge of block when it passes through an enemy hero. 3 charges max.

Sting like a bee, Gauntlet swing no longer stuns or displaces foes, but deals 150% increased damage and instantly kills minions.

Level 13

Space Time protection, Jack is immune to time stop and stasis effects, and gains 75 spell armour for 5 seconds upon being exposed to one.

Rope-a-dope, Jack evades all basic attacks while near a wall and has not attacked an enemy for 0.5 seconds.

Templar's charge, Gauntlet swing charges a medium distance to foes if it is targeted.

Level 20

R1 up, Purifier armour, Upon expiration, Danger rush grants Jack 1 armour for every 1% of his max health consumed in shields. Lasts 3 seconds.

R2 up: Temporal erasure, Time field can be activated once every 100 seconds to clear any held damage.

Joe

Level 16

Team player, while your team's total health is above 60% of their collective maximum, your cooldowns recharge 50% faster. If allies are dead, they still count towards the team's maximum health.

Level 20

R1 up, Perfect trust, Order Command grants the target Unstoppable for 2 seconds.

R2 up, Blue supernova, Frost Nova has 50% increased radius and has it's cooldown reduced by 20% for every enemy hit, but it's mana cost is doubled.

Enduring leader, QUEST, your core must survive for 25 minutes since the game's start. REWARD, all allies may choose a second talent from their level 20 tier.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The storms gather

Joe, Jack, Daelin and Blackheart sat around a table in the ship's cabin. Joe was strategizing. "Blackheart, it's been three days since Jack came here. If my friends are going to achieve heroic status, It'll happen soon, or maybe it already has happened. Can you check them? Grandfather, has your fleet reported any activity from the allies of the commodore? And Jack, how long until the death occurs, assuming the Gravekeeper's information is correct?"

Blackheart drained his bottle. Staying sober had been a bit of a 'one-time-only' trick. "Lessee… Sandy, Sung, Tom, Cathori n' Kaladi are powered up. Four are ovah with the space lubber, and Sandy's with the –hic- Lady."

Daelin studied the map "The imperial fleet mobilised, but they don't have a clue where we are and the commodore is decisively dead. Whoever's leading them isn't very experienced as a leader, that much is obvious."

Jack checked a pocketwatch he'd been given "It's meant to be happening today, so sometime in the next sixteen hours."

Joe frowned "So, either Knives or Li-Yen will die. We don't need to worry about the imperial fleet for now as long as we avoid them, and I have sixteen hours to figure out how to avert the death. I'm… not sure I can revive the dead, but I wouldn't deserve your trust if I didn't do everything I could to prevent it. Still, I need to gather the others…"

"Leave that to me! Just because you're a hero doesn't mean you can be in two places at once! And I've only changed a bit, they'll still know it's me."

 _No, you're very different now, Jack, and I don't mean your eye. You're more mature now. You're less explosive and wild, more determined._ Thought Joe. _But you're still unmistakably Jack._

"Thanks a lot. If you need any help making a plan to get them, just say. I'll depart for the realm of eternal conflicts soon. If I stay unseen, maybe I can take the death blow. I'll just self-revive from there." Said Joe.

Daelin's face was set in stone "I dislike the notion of my grandson treating his life as expendable… but I suppose it effectively is. I shall coordinate the defence of Blackheart's domain while he is ferrying you around. I will take my leave now, so that I can mobilise my fleet. And to all four of you: Thank you dearly for the help you've given me finding Jaina. She and I may never see eye to eye, but family is family. Grandson, promise I'll see you again."

Joe didn't want to make a promise he might not be able to keep. His mind flashed to the other heroes, missing despite immortality. "I swear upon my honour, that I will do all I can to see you again. But my promise to my friends comes first. I will find our parents or die trying."

"Ah, you're just like your mother. I must go now, time won't wait for me." Smiled Daelin, exiting the room.

* * *

Joe was the first to be dropped off. The realm of eternal conflicts had changed the least over the fourteen years; white, blue and gold against red and black. Joe had never seen the land before, but he couldn't help realising how ironic it was that the realm that was the incarnation of conflict itself was the least changed by a fourteen year war. Speaking of which…

"Blackheart, how is it that we were able to tip this war so dramatically? If it's lasted for fourteen years, then surely it should have been harder for us?" Asked Joe

"Well, lubber, the thing is that –hic- we lordsh have all got the same power. And those forces that the others have backing them up are –hic- equal to one of us. But you lot, you can send this thing sideways so fast, -hic- once you get your ability to never die, that having you guarantees we win. It was a case of now or never for the Raven Lord." explained Blackheart.

"I won't lose. The Raven Lord has hurt everyone I know more than I can hope to understand. I won't become a mindless force of destruction, but I will have vengeance for all he's done."

"Well, thatsh a nice speech lad, but we're 'ere. And a word of advice. Stay away from the heaven side if you're sneaking –hic- around. They're good at catching thieves. Off ye get!" Blackheart announced, as Joe jumped off the ship.

* * *

Next it was Jack's turn. He had set course for the Shire, but then a lookout skeleton saw something through his telescope.

"Cap'nnnn!" It rattled. "Dragon to starboard! Approachin' fast!"

Blackheart stared into the horizon, as Jack ran over to the side of the boat to get a look. The dragon was clearly far away, but they were indeed moving fast.

The lookout skeleton shouted again "It's from the bronze dragonflight, by the looks of it cap'n! But it's got armour from the shire!"

Jack realised what, or rather who it was. "Sandy? Is that you?!" He shouted off the side of the boat.

Blackheart leaned over "Ya know this worm?"

"Maybe! We can let them land, right?" said Jack.

"Aye, the Shire are allies. Go clear some space on deck, lubber. I'm not having me crew flattened."

Jack was able to shoo most of the skeletons off the main decks of the ship quickly, which was good because Sandy crash-landed. An entire bronze dragon freshly out of puberty hitting the deck didn't do the boards any favours, but at least Sandy was fine. The snoozing pirate nearby jumped a metre in the air screaming like a firework. Sandy transformed back to an orc quickly. "Jack, greetings once more. Sorry about your ship, I'm still learning how to fly…" She said. Jack hugged her.

"No worries! But I'd better go introduce you to Captain Blackheart. Everything's coming to a head. We even found Joe again. Now we just need to get the others from Cook. Come on! Autumn is here too." Jack bubbled.

Sandy tried to make an apology as soon as she saw Blackheart "Lord Captain Blackheart, I'm sorry about-"

"Hahaha, no need for that codswallop!" Cackled Blackheart "You two landlubbers didn't see old Jerry's face when a dragon crashed two metres away from him! Best wake-up call I've ever seen!"

"Very well. Sandy Earthfury, ready to act." She bowed ever so slightly, and walked away. "How's Autumn faring, Jack? I expect she's hidden around here somewhere."

Jack looked down "Autumn… Autumn's been through some rough things. It's… depressing. She died, but then the Gravekeeper resurrected her, but her mind is still, well, it's as if her personality stayed dead. And Blackheart made us both heroes as soon as we arrived here, so now we can't fix it."

"How troubling. We ought to find her, then. Do you know where she is?" Asked Sandy.

"I am here." Said Autumn, from behind them.

Sandy looked over Autumn, with the attention to detail of a seamstress. Her posture was untouched. Her suit was clean. But her neck had a faint purple mark, too sudden to be a bruise. Her eyes were like that of a doll, the irises slack and unresponsive. Her hair was just a little too dry. "Autumn… I'm glad to see you again. Will you recover?" Said Sandy.

"I have no evidence to suggest I will. Additionally, my state has been locked by transition to hero." Said Autumn.

Sandy sighed "Well… I will mourn for you later. For now, we should go and get the rest of us."

"This is a widely agreeable course of action." Agreed Autumn.

* * *

Blackheart then set course for Braxis holdout. The most dramatic effect this had was the seas turning to stars. Jack took one look over the side and gasped as a comet rocketed past at a safe-ish distance. He didn't want to question how he was breathing in space, or not freezing, but it was like a dream. Sailing the astral seas on a ghostly pirate ship.

Sandy looked around at the stars. Without an atmosphere or any kind of light pollution, she could see trillions of kilometres into the cosmos, a vast black canvas freckled with the lights of faraway planets and stars. She looked at Blackheart, who was still carefully turning the ship's wheel. "It's beautiful here. Is this what exists outside worlds?" She asked.

"Aye, lass. This is outer space. Not really a traditional pirate's stomping ground. But the power of travel isn't to be underestimated, eh! Now, don't try flying off me… Wait, maybe yer heroic powers will let you survive in space. Well, stick around here for now. You can test them later."

Jack walked over to Autumn "Hey, Autumn? I was wondering if you'd do me a favour?"

"State your request. I will listen to it."

"Can you take some pictures of this place with your laptop? I never pried into it when Joe asked you… but I know you take pictures of places sometimes. If you ever get your emotions back, then you won't be missing anything."

Autumn shook her head "This serves no purpose. I know that I would not feel overly upset if I had emotions, based on memory. And even so, I do not think I can recover. So therefore, we should not waste time considering my emotions. It is highly unlikely they will return."

Jack slumped "Well then… if you feel no emotions... what will you do? Is survival the only life there is for you?"

"There is a higher purpose that I may serve, if my theory is correct. However, I have not got enough evidence to substantiate my claim. I will tell you when I can prove it, in answer to the question that raises."

"Okay. I guess we'll arrive at the holdout soon. I'll go get ready to greet everyone. Hopefully my powers will let me put on a clean shirt." Said Jack.

The ghostly ship docked in the holdout's bay neatly, to the surprise of Jack. He and Sandy climbed down a rope ladder to the floor of the station, and walked over to the door. He knocked it, and after a few seconds the intercom crackled.

"Ah, are you here to pick up the others? I'll unlock the door now! Come on in, heroes. Follow the blue lights." Said Doctor Cook.

Jack walked into the canteen to see four more of his friends sitting around a table, with the doctor in the centre. "Everyone!" He exclaimed.

"Jack! Good to see you unharmed!"

"You had us so worried."

"I knew you could get through it!"

"Hello, friend."

Sandy stepped in behind Jack "I'm here too. Autumn is waiting aboard the ship. Have you all been well?"

"Good as new."

"Yep, I'm a hero now!"

"I've reached new limits."

"I… feel good."

Sung got up from the table "We shouldn't waste time. Now that we're all together, it's time for the Raven Lord to learn a thing or two about justice."

Cathori gently pounded the table with her fist "For Joe?"

"Wait" Said Jack "Joe is alive."

"By the worlds… are you sure, Jack?" Sung said, uncharacteristically awed and nervous.

Jack grinned "He's a hero too. He filled me in on what happened to him, and you're not going to believe how he survived…"

"Tell us, you can't just leave us hanging there!" Said Tom.

"The Raven Lord was so satisfied at seeing Joe dead, that he accidentally revived him. From then on Joe escaped by fighting through his entire army, and tried to come and chase after us but he got lost and ended up going to Blackheart's world, but while he was there, he managed to actually permanently defeat another enemy Lord. He's proved that they can be killed, and Blackheart has confirmed that he's gone for good. We're going to meet him in the realm of conflicts. From there, we can work on winning the war and finally saving our parents."

Cathori smiled "Let's go, then. Are you coming with us, Cook?"

"N-n-no thanks. One lord should be enough to get you where you need to be, and besides… I might not age, but if I can die permanently, I shouldn't fight, should I?" He said.

Sung patted him on the shoulder "Don't worry. As it is, we've already won. The only question now is keeping our allies safe. So stay safe, good doctor. We'll see you soon."

Kaladi looked at Cook "Good luck with your… research. Goodbye doctor."

"Thanks. I never thought I'd be told that by a zerg... Goodbye, Kaladi."

Sung looked to Jack "I think you're the best leader here. Send us out."

Jack held a hand to his chest "Me?! But Sung, you're stronger than me in every way!"

"No. A leader isn't just strong. I can't pinpoint it, and I won't pretend to be able to, but you have far more leader in you than I first gave you credit for. Maybe under different circumstances, it could have been you uniting us, and not Joe."

Jack considered his response for a moment "No. It would always be Joe. I learned how to be like this by traveling with him. So that's why we're going to help him until the end." He raised his voice "If not for him, then for our parents, and if not for our parents, then for ourselves. Let's do this! To the realm of conflicts!"

There was a small cheer, as everyone walked back to the pirate ship.

* * *

Joe was observing the training of Li-Yen and Knives at a distance. They were ripping through hordes of training dummies, but neither was in obvious danger since the dummies weren't properly armed.

 _Knives has gotten a lot more vicious. She's killing each of those like they're a real person… Li-Yen's much more graceful. I hope I can save them…_ thought Joe.

The two girls fought on for a long time, while Joe watched. It was probably a good thing, since that made it less likely they'd spot him. He'd prepared a quick teleport spell, so it was just a matter of spotting the killing blow before it occurred.

Eventually, Knives's mountain of destroyed dummies fell, and herself with it. Joe nearly jumped in then and there, but there was no threat, and he caught himself in time. The dummies were disappearing, as he heard the gentle splash of waves behind him. He turned to see Blackheart's ship, in all its glory, just a few metres away.

He smiled as he saw Tom, Cathori, Autumn, Jack, Kaladi, Sung, and Sandy all leaned over the railings of the ship, quietly scaling the sides. The cove was out of sight of the realm's battlefield, but not out of earshot. The group walked up to Joe. "Hello again, everyone." Joe whispered.

Tom walked up to Joe with a new lightness in his steps. "We thought you were dead. Thank you for staying alive. You're my best friend."

Cathori smiled "Look at you… you're just like I remembered. We're all here for you now."

"I will follow you. I am sure that I can trust you." Flatlined Autumn.

Jack patted Joe on the shoulder "You've done a lot for us. Thanks."

Kaladi hovered in front of Joe. "I am happy I met you. You are hope. You are survival"

"I want to fight for you, not in memory of you. We will find our parents. Our enemies will not escape." Said Sung.

Sandy sighed "Do not blame yourself for the events you cannot avert. Not now, not ever. You have surrounded yourself with hopes, and fulfilled all of them but the impossible."

"It's good to be back. I want to say things to all of you too… but for one more moment, we need to watch over Li-Yen and Knives. Their lives are still on the line." Said Joe.

Everyone agreed, and carefully observed as the two girls finished the conversation they'd been having. They walked in opposite directions, Knives to heaven and Li-Yen to hell. Joe waited until they were out of sight, and signalled everyone to climb up onto the main area. "I'm not sure where they're going, but we can't interfere or we risk blowing their chances of becoming heroes. Still, if four of us move to the other side, we'll have a better view of whatever will try and kill them. Tom, Jack, Sung, Sandy. You move to the other side. Cathori can't hide the firebird anywhere else, and Autumn and Kaladi are better suited to me. In fact, Autumn, if you can, then turn invisible and stand in the centre. You'll be able to see everything."

The group hid at a distance. Cathori climbed into the Firebird, but didn't start the engine or move it anywhere it was obviously visible.

The air shimmered in two places. Joe's side could see Li-Yen appear on one half of the central arena, and Tom saw Knives.

Knives moved quickly and without hesitation. It was obvious her plan was to take the fight to her enemies before they could be ready. Joe saw her briefly dart between rocks. The threat to their lives had to be now. They were both clearly looking for a powerful enemy. Joe readied his warp. He just had to spot the enemy. That would allow him to intercept. Li-Yen peered around a corner. Knives silently dashed through a bush behind her. Joe calmed down a little. Together, they could watch each other …

Knives stabbed Li-Yen from behind, and Joe froze in horror. Teleport spell forgotten, he watched as Knives wordlessly cut down her former friend, who fell to the ground with red soaking her once-yellow robe.

"No…" He whispered. "I couldn't…"

"I… thought I knew you" Choked Li-Yen.

Joe was silenced by the betrayal he felt. He drew his rifle, contemplating shooting Knives then and there. He drew a deep breath, a lowered the gun. He wouldn't throw away reason. She had to have had no choice, right?

Knives looked to the sky. "It is done, Llarian. Fate favours me." A golden ray of energy descended from the sky, striking her as she levitated a few centimetres. Joe nearly threw up in disgust. She did it consciously. She unhesitatingly betrayed everyone she knew for power.

"I killed my friend for power." Said Knives after a moment. "I didn't even hesitate." She said to nobody in particular. The battlefield felt cold and dark to her, all of a sudden. All eight of the people who would have called her a friend had just seen her murder someone who trusted her, after all.

Knives stood where she was.

And waited.

And waited, as everyone wondered what they should do.

"Do I value vengeance so much?" She finally said. "What have I let myself… become?"

She sat down by Li-Yen. "Llarian. In prophecy, all ten of us are to stand before the gateway to the final challenge. But if one of us has fallen how can that come to pass? If this prophecy is impossible… Then I must and will take responsibility. If you know where my ultimate foe is… send me there."

Knives shimmered, and Joe broke cover. Knives was almost completely transparent by the time he was close to her.

As he ran, a shout escaped him. "LI-YEN!"

He knelt by her body, Knives gone. The other seven heroes gathered around.

"Joe…" Coughed Li-Yen. "It hurts."

Joe scrambled for something to say "We're all here for you. Please, just hold on!"

"I'm doomed. Leave me. I… hate her, Joe. I want to lie and say that I understand and forgive her, but… I hate her. I'm scared…" Li-Yen said weakly.

Tom was already trying to heal her. "It's no good, she's lost too much blood and her organs are damaged. I can't save her."

"Don't be scared… I died too. It's... calm. You'll be able to read for as long as you want." Said Joe.

"I think… I think I know what I have to do, Joe. I need… a favour." Li-Yen's voice was fading quickly.

"What do you want?"

"I need more-" She coughed, lips tinting red. "-magical power. I need as much as the group can give me. I'm… not done yet."

"Everyone. You heard her. Drive yourselves to death if you have to, this time it's for Li-Yen." Joe concentrated, placing his hands over Li-Yen's left hand and discharging as much mana as he could. And then more.

Jack knelt. He placed his hands over Li-Yen's right hand, and focused on his psionics. It wasn't true magic, but he'd see the world burn before he just let a friend die.

Sung knelt. "I'm sorry if this isn't much…" He placed a hand over Joe's, channelling the power of his iron skin.

"Jack, this… will hurt. Be ready." Kaladi sunk his fangs into Jack's side. Jack didn't even flinch. Kaladi focused for a second, copying and adapting psionics. He removed his fangs, and channelled his copied psionics into Autumn, his wings glowing an electric blue.

Cathori wiped away her tears "Being a hero… It must mean I have some magic, right?" She clasped Li-Yen's well-covered hands.

Sandy carefully moved a lock of Li-Yen's hair off her face. "Your destiny has yet to conclude, but… I would try and save you even if it ended here." She gently held a hand.

Autumn looked at Li-Yen with hard, dead eyes. "By order of those I trust. You will have all my power." Joe had known Autumn had the potential to use both psionics and magic. He knew that she had never unlocked that potential. Yet now, when she was boiled down to little more than a machine, following a command with all available to it… Both were unlocking. Autumn crackled with power. Joe felt her magical power surging to terrifying levels, as Jack and Kaladi were mildly cowed at the Psionic magnitude of Autumn. They tried their best to remain focused, but Autumn was blowing them away. Joe looked as Autumn's body began to burn itself from the inside out. Li-Yen's body was still drinking in the magical power, but it was becoming charged.

"With all my power, come on!" Said Jack. Joe pushed himself harder than his nervous system should have allowed. His magical output was climbing exponentially, beginning to get close to Autumn. Jack and Kaladi together were almost equal to their deceased friend's psionics.

Li-Yen's body dissolved. Everyone's powers faded quickly, as they fell back in varied levels of despair and exhaustion.

Joe felt like his body was dead again. "I've failed…"

"No." Rang out Li-Yen's voice. It was different, as if fractured over many layers of reality. "You've succeeded."

A faint yellow light glimmered. Around it, a blue light sprung into existence. Then red, green, more yellows… Joe watched as a miniature galaxy of lights formed, a dark blue mist between them. The nebula coalesced into the shape of a body.

"It's me, Joe. I just needed more power to manifest a new physical form." The nebula of lights was recongnisibly still Li-Yen. Her dress was no longer yellow, but a billion tiny balls of fire. Her hair, a cascade of meteors. Li-Yen's new self bent over, and picked up the only two items left of her old body. Her wand, and her brass spectacles. One lens had cracked when she'd fallen after Knives stabbed her. She delicately replaced them, and held the wand.

"Are you… going to be alright?" Asked Joe.

"This form… It's not very stable. It won't fall apart, but I don't think it would take much more than a hug to kill me again… and I've used my soul as the glue that holds it together. I'm… not going to be very useful now, I suppose." The cosmic form of LI-Yen replied.

A voice all too familiar to Li-Yen rang out. "No, you will be very useful, heir of rage…" The ground below her glowed with a hellish, magmatic heat. Li-Yen's new form gasped.

"I thank you for your blessing… and I will do as you expect. But only after I tend to what is most important." Said Li-Yen.

"Li-Yen, are you-?" Said Cathori.

"I am a hero now, my friends. I feel renewed, enlightened, emboldened and uplifted." She curtsied to the group, the galaxies in her dress shimmering. "And I'm at your service once more, Joe. Let's go and end a war."

 **Author's notes: And the last ascension is done! Li-Yen's squishiness is finally explained, and we're going into the final battles now. And a note that may interest you about Li-Yen: Her passive health regeneration is** ** _minus_** **1.5 per second. Think on that.**

 **Mpopl2: On the subject of BS resurrections, Li-Yen's only alive because she was given enough power (she also generated some by breaking her own dead body down into energy) to make her soul manifest physically, the opposite of Autumn. We'll be getting some good old-fashioned revenge for all the pain these people have suffered soon, so you can look forwards to that.**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Vengeance

"So, how should we attack?" Said Tom to Joe.

All nine heroes were sat around a table on Blackheart's ship. They were preparing to invade the Raven Lord's land.

"Well, on paper anything would work since we can never really die, but this is the Raven Lord. He's quite cunning. And even so… I'm not a fan of ordering my friends to their deaths. For the sake of Li-Yen being the exception. So, I'll analyse this." Joe pulled up a sheet of paper and scrawled a quick map of Ravencourt.

"This is far from perfect, but where will The Raven Lord position his armies? There are only ten –nine of us, so we're going to have to be careful not to engage his forces anywhere that they have an advantage. Damn, Knives would have been invaluable here."

Sandy leaned over. "Perhaps here should be attacked? The thick woods would allow us to slip away from enemies and destroy the enemy army's formations."

Jack studied Joe's map "Let's attack here, through the village. Then the Raven Lord can't retaliate at full force or he'll destroy his own town."

Joe looked over his map. "I think we want to do a few things, and then we'll go with Sandy's plan. I don't really want to risk civilians. Firstly, we need this watch tower. Either destroy it or bring it under our control, but The Raven Lord mustn't be able to track our movements. Second, the town has been worked nearly to death by the Raven Lord, right?"

"Yes, all inhabitants are in poor health." Confirmed Autumn.

"Then we can hopefully neutralise them without a fight, or even putting any lives at risk. We just have to sabotage their weapon stores and the gatehouse of their walls, and they'll be locked inside. Autumn, are you capable of all that?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, the Raven Lord himself. He can fly, and he's proficient with his cane as a melee weapon while using feathers at range. But the chances are that he has more tricks up his sleeve. What might they be?"

Sung scratched his chin. "If he can transform himself to have wings, like Sandy does, then he can probably fully transform into a raven. We do not want him using that ability to escape."

"I… will stop him flying away." Said Kaladi "But… he might have ballista. Bows. Anti-air weapons. We should try and control them. They could be… useful against him."

Joe nodded "Yes, his army has a lot of bow users according to Jack. You'd be an easy target for them if we don't do something. But I didn't see any static defences while I was there before. Not even on the town walls, so I guess the Raven Lord must be afraid of us getting control of them. Any ideas on getting rid of the enemy bows when they arrive? Or even the enemy army in general?"

"That is my calling." Said Sung. "They pose no threat to me at all, I could survive their army attacking me for a long time. If they try to attack anyone but me, I'll cleave them apart. They will _not_ escape."

"I shall aid you." Added Li-Yen. "My range will allow me to stay safe, and my magic will express my rage far better than any words. We can handle the army while you engage the lord. I'll leave the fine details to you."

A few more minutes of planning passed.

"Do we have any more to work out?" asked Joe "No? Then let's begin."

* * *

Autumn was warped into the Ravencourt by Joe, staying invisible. She listened carefully, and sent a psionic and then a magic signal to her allies to check they were there. "Autumn deployed. Respond."

"Joe here. Testing."

"This is Jack."

"Kaladi… here."

"Sandy, good luck."

"Li-Yen, ready to help."

Autumn moved quickly through the field. Ravencourt had changed since they were last here. The lands had previously been just a little sinister, but perfectly healthy forest. Now it was as if they were diseased, the leaves of trees drooping and the grass patchy. The air itself seemed stale. Previously Autumn would have noted it and continued, but with her newfound magical powers, she could sense, even as a novice that the area was suffering a terrible magical disruption.

The Watch Tower was the most crucial target of Autumn's attack. It would mean that the heroes had a vision advantage and more importantly, that whatever defences they encountered didn't. Autumn approached the altar. A few shadowy guards were standing around. Autumn slipped past unseen, and knelt on the altar. She focused on her links to Joe and Li-Yen. "How do I change the tower to our alignment?"

Li-Yen came through with a response "There should be some runes around the altar plate. Tap them, rotating clockwise and starting at north."

Autumn followed the instructions quickly, converting the tower to her side. She then looked around. If she couldn't see a way to keep it on her side, then she needed to disable it. She looked at the central rune. Of course. She pulled her gun and shot the rune three times. To her satisfaction, despite the rune splintering into pieces, the watchtower didn't deactivate. Autumn moved off quickly.

She slipped into the town easily, the walls meaning nothing when the doors were open. The town was affected by the magical disruption as well. It had never been a particularly clean and well-kept town, always mildewed and in need of more money and available workers to take care of itself, but now it was dying. Autumn could see the wooden beams of the buildings rotting, the once busy marketplace slowed to a crawl. It was as if the people in the town had lost the will to live. "Joe. I do not think the town poses a threat any longer."

"Are you absolutely sure? If we can spare them any trouble then that's great."

"Activity has declined by over ninety percent. The workforce appears to be in shambles. They will not be able to muster any resistance. You may order your invasion when ready." Replied Autumn.

Joe looked around the room. Seven heroes and a lord. "Autumn's given the word. We move now. Blackheart, if we fail… hang back, and try and work out what's happened before you go in. The Raven Lord will be expecting you to try and get in quickly."

"Aye, Joseph. Good luck, lubbers. Now get going." Replied Blackheart.

* * *

Eight heroes dropped into the thick woods of Ravencourt. The plan: Alert the Raven Lord's armies and draw them into here, and then lose them and attack The Raven Lord's mansion. Simple enough.

Sandy and Li-Yen handled the 'alert the enemy' part. A thunderstorm brewed overhead, crackling as Sandy in her dragon form circled the area, before landing. It would have been forgivable to think that they were mounting a full frontal assault.

The Raven Lord's armies responded instantly. The shades rose from the earth in front of the mansion and converged on the forest, moving incredibly fast. Sandy watched as the tides of darkness approached, and landed. "There are three main groups. Each of roughly four hundred fighters. Li-Yen, Sung. Do not allow them to surround you. We should move now, Joe."

"Yes. Autumn should be working on picking the mansion's lock as we speak. Li-Yen, help me warp the rest of us to the mansion." Said Joe, as he began to prepare his warp spell.

"Naturally. I'll see you later, Joe." Li-Yen added some extra power to the warp spell, and six of the heroes were whisked away.

The tides of darkness drew nearer. Sung watched as they ran through the forest, coming to his position quickly. He placed a hand upon Datrys, and slowly drew the blade, as if it weighed nothing. He roared, a battlecry for one person with the power of a thousand, and charged in.

* * *

Joe heard Sung's war cry at the mansion's doors. "He's engaged them. We should move in. Autumn, doors?"

Autumn opened the front door. "Done."

"Everyone, let's go. Stealth until detected. Then fight until they're dead. Cathori, wait out here. Come in through the wall once you see fighting." Joe ran in.

The mansion was brimming with traps. Most were mitigated by Autumn's scouting ahead, but a few particularly nasty ones slowed down the group. Jack nearly took a feather dart to the face when a portrait exploded into them. Still, the heroes burst into the ballroom unhurt and brandishing their weapons. The Raven Lord was standing in the centre, apparently not planning to hide. He simply looked out of the window.

"Raven Lord! We will have justice!" Said Joe.

The Raven Lord turned around slowly. "I'm the one who justice should be exacted upon? I, who acted only for the good of my fellows, by trying to eliminate a threat? I who-" He paid for his monologue dearly, as a bullet caught him in the heart. It didn't kill him, but he stepped back in pain, drawing his cane and spreading his wings.

"No mercy! Attack!" Shouted Joe.

Jack opened the fight. The Raven Lord parried the first three punches but the fourth caught him in the gut, moving him back. Sandy and Joe opened fire, the projectiles turning aside by the Raven Lord's magic and damaging the walls of the room.

The windows exploded as Cathori entered. The ballroom had a high ceiling, and the Firebird was able to fit inside. Cathori focused her flamethrowers on the Raven Lord, who tried to dodge out of the way, but the Gravekeeper's final vengeance came to bear in the form of the wound reopening on his stomach, slowing the lord and letting the flames wash over him. Still, he jumped to his feet and shot a burst of feathers at Joe, wounding him badly.

Tom had no plans to let that happen. Joe was healed in a flash, as Tom and Autumn drew thier handguns and blasted away, before Tom drew his generator and gave Jack the Supershield.

Jack went into overdrive, smashing the Raven Lord with a flurry of punches. The lord tried to backpedal and reorient himself, and Kaladi's acid flare doused him, corroding away his armour and skin. The zerg leapt over Jack's head as the Danger rush ended, and sunk fangs that were oozing mutagens into the Raven Lord's shoulder. He ripped himself off savagely, the fangs tearing into the lord before coming out.

Joe shot him with an ice bullet as he tried to stand again, and Cathori used her shrapnel at point-blank. The force of the attack threw The Raven Lord against the wall, where he collapsed in a heap.

Joe walked up to the fallen lord carefully. He was a mess, with wounds from all of the group's fighters. Frost coated his chest. Gunshots that hadn't been fully stopped by his magic barriers had left welts. He had burns all over his front from both flames and acid. Jack's punches had broken a few ribs. The bite was bubbling up. The sand had scraped his face raw.

And The Raven Lord couldn't force himself to his feet.

"Surrender. You're completely beaten. I know you killed me and enjoyed it, but I'll make this quick." Said Joe.

The Raven Lord laughed. A horrible, broken laugh, as shadows suddenly broke from the floor and engulfed him. " _Not quick enough_ "

* * *

Sung was crushing the enemy army. He was gaining ground, as insane as the concept was. One being holding his own against an army. No, two beings. Li-Yen wasn't a frontline fighter, but she was the one handling the enemies that were trying to flank them, the one sniping the enemies with bows. She was making it possible, because she was forcing the enemies to come at Sung from the front. And then, all of a sudden, the army disappeared. Sung's swing hit air, and he looked forwards in bemusement. "Where have they gone?! Li-Yen, is this a trap?"

"No, they were recalled. That must mean… The Raven Lord is losing to the others. We ought to assist, I believe."

* * *

Joe fired into the shadows surrounding The Raven Lord, but it had no effect. Seeing this, he jumped back. "Everyone, get back! It might explode!" He shouted. It did not explode; at least not in an aggressive way. The ball of shadows burst, and the mansion crumbled around the group.

"Quick, the window!" Joe physically grabbed and threw Tom out of the window, since he was furthest from the exit, before making a beeline for the broken wall. The rest of the group followed quickly, and watched as the mansion went down, and a giant raven, wreathed in blue flames rose from the house. The skies darkened, as the bird screeched at the group.

Li-Yen and Sung appeared next to the group. Li-Yen looked up at the giant bird, and jumped to the side as a feather the size of her body impaled itself in the floor. "Is that… The Raven Lord?"

"Yes. But… How will we defeat him now? He's far out of reach…" Said Sung, still simmering with fury.

Joe looked to the two others. "Guys! We'll have to pull back if we can't get up there. Unless there's anything you two can do?"

Sung shook his head.

"Wait, I know what to do." Said Li-Yen. "Stand on the rubble. Most of it is a flat surface of some kind."

"Everyone, get onto the house's ruins! Li-Yen has a plan!" Shouted Joe. Everyone obeyed.

Li-Yen thrust her arms forwards, and the rubble levitated. All the broken parts of the house lifted from the floor, accelerating upwards.

Joe struggled to stay steady as the platform soared. It climbed fast, until it approached the Raven Lord's altitude. The Raven Lord didn't say anything, but was surprised to say the least. The rubble spread out to form a circle around the lord, and the fight began anew.

* * *

The Raven Lord's true form was not so easy as his regular self. Joe fired and reloaded as fast as his hands would allow, but to little effect. He sprinted to the left as a volley of feathers crashed into the platform, cutting through the bricks like butter.

Tom fired the removal cannon, and for a few moments the veil of blue fire was parted. For a few moments, Tom could see that the injuries the group had inflicted earlier had mostly carried over. The fire surged back, but not before a few attacks slipped through.

Cathori was having immense trouble with the Firebird, while it was a tough vehicle, it was not meant to be manoeuvred around small platforms. The mortar cannon's shot missed its target and sailed harmlessly into the abyss, and the flamethrowers were out of range. The Raven Lord took advantage of Cathori's attempts at getting nearer, and dived onto the platform, crushing it to dust in his talons. The Firebird fell away, Cathori inside, and smashed into the ground at terminal velocity, before dissolving.

Jack watched as the platform was destroyed, and seized his chance, running along parts of rubble and leaping just as he always had when it came to parkour. Before the Raven Lord could lift away from the crushed platform, Jack leapt onto his back, and started trying to bring him down. He pummelled at the lord's left wing with psionic force, seeing the feathers were already bare from earlier wounds. He couldn't break the bone, but he certainly got some attention.

Autumn wasn't able to deal enormous amounts of damage. A standard handgun is an incredibly deadly weapon, but it works on the principle that the bullets can't be stopped and then pass through the target, destroying it from the inside. Autumn's attacks were almost completely nullified by the magical protection on the Raven Lord, but they were still there, wherever they'd hurt most.

Sandy was the real threat. She'd opened the fight with normal sand attacks, but once at the full altitude, she'd shifted into her dragon form and taken to the skies. It was a dangerous aerial battle, and more than once Sandy was thankful for the sheer toughness of her hide. Feathers certainly hurt, but they couldn't quite get through her skin, and her armour outright stopped them. The Raven Lord dwarfed her for size though, and with one snap of his beak, Sandy felt a sharp pain, shooting through her right wing. It wasn't broken, but it was definitely not good and it burned with more pain than adrenaline could numb. Sprained. Sandy struggled back to a platform before shifting back, and throwing a sandstorm into the Raven Lord's eyes.

Kaladi came up behind Sandy, healing her. Sandy could feel a stiff ache in her back melt away, as Kaladi lauched himself into the skies. He weighed less than a quarter as much as Sandy's dragon form, and The Raven Lord could probably have swallowed him in one bite, but that would have required Kaladi not latching onto his face and spitting acid directly into an eye. The Raven Lord screeched in pain as his vision was burned away by the chemicals, and threw Kaladi into the air, discharging a volley of feathers that could have blotted out the sun, had the storms not been covering it already. Kaladi blinked out of the way, to Sung.

Sung felt the strength bonus, and used it well. The Raven Lord brought his wrath down, but every feather was met by the neo-steel of the Datrys, as he backed his way to Joe.

"Sung, I need to get on his back!"

As the volley ceased, Sung wasted no time hacking a section of the platform away, throwing it in The Raven Lord's general direction. "Go!"

Joe sprinted along the platform, leapt onto the chunk of platform, and The Raven Lord recoiled. A fully-healed Sandy came to the rescue, and as Joe had the sinking feeling as his target moved out of range, she moved her back in as a foothold, letting Joe make the jump onto The Raven Lord's back. He glowed a light blue, readying a spell.

"What are you doing!?" Shouted Tom, before jumping back as his platform was broken. There was nowhere to go but down.

"Tom!" Said Sandy, diving after him. A feather caught her in the back, piercing her scales and causing her to fall as well.

Everything was falling apart, but Joe came through as the Frost Nova completed. The Raven Lord had his entire back frozen, wings included, and began to fall. He did his best to take anyone still in the air with him, firing every feather he had and destroying more and more platforms, but Jack and Autumn darted around, Sung just barely avoiding a fall. Kaladi just flew.

Joe fell faster and faster, seeing Tom and Sandy impact and dissolve far below. His spell was wearing off quickly, but there comes a point where a body has too much inertia to stop. The Raven Lord twisted in the air, Joe holding on, trying his best to add the little bit of extra weight that might make the difference.

The Raven Lord spoke, and whether it was magic or just Joe's imagination, he could have sworn that the last words were clear. "A bitter end for a bitter life. No justice…"

Then they hit the ground, and died.

* * *

The platforms were lowered just a little too fast for it to feel safe, but the surviving four heroes were all still under the effects of adrenaline. Cathori was reforming just as they reached the ground. Li-Yen was shimmering dimly, as if she'd lost her energy.

"Okay, that's what it feels like dying. Better than the Raven Lord over there deserves." Cathori commented, climbing out of her mech.

Li-Yen collapsed. "I… don't feel well. Get me a healer, please!" She said to Cathori.

Tom answered the request, respawning just a little to the left of the Firebird. "I'm back! Who needs me?"

Cathori took him by the hand and pulled him to Li-Yen "She's collapsed. I know she'll respawn, but, uh, you'll save her right?"

Tom knelt, and experimentally cast his healing nanites onto Li-Yen. He'd been doubtful they could repair a miniature cosmos, but they got to work quickly, realigning galaxies and brightening stars. Li-Yen picked herself up quickly. "Thank you kindly. I… I believe my form deteriorates over time, since it lacks a proper binding charm. And it's too late to add one. Is it okay if you just heal me occasionally?"

Tom crossed his arms and smiled. "You don't need to ask. I'm a doctor and a friend, and it's my job as both to make sure you're okay."

The other four heroes walked over.

Sung looked to the sky. The clouds had stilled, although they weren't clearing, they weren't threatening. "It's over. All that's left now is to find our parents."

Jack looked at him sideways "What about Beleth? Or Nightshade? They're still dangerous."

Autumn decloaked. "The Raven Lord was, by all accounts, the driving force behind this. Without him to rally his allies, then it is probable they will surrender."

"That is good… We will survive. Now I will follow you to your… goal." Said Kaladi.

Sandy and Joe reformed. Sandy inspected herself "No creases? A good resurrection."

Joe looked at the corpse of The Raven Lord. It had not dissolved as his friends had. "He's gone. But… I don't feel satisfied. There's still a lot to do."

Tom patted him on the back "Yeah. We can't leave this town leaderless, and the Haunted Mines could still be enslaved. And… we should bury that. It's a health risk." He looked at the fallen raven.

"Agreed. Let's visit the town first. They must be terrified."

* * *

The town was not terrified. They were uncertain. As the nine heroes walked into the town, the residents were looking out of their buildings with curiosity more than fear. Joe looked around for any signs of danger, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Eventually, he came to the town square. He looked around. A lot of residents were carefully watching from afar. Joe stood in the centre, and faced them.

"People of Ravencourt. Your lord has been slain, and his war has been lost. We do not wish there to be anarchy here, but we must leave soon. I ask now, that if this town has a mayor, or a spokesperson of The Raven Lord, that they step forth!"

Joe waited a minute. A derelict old man in a robe stepped out of an allyway, and raised a hand. "There are no leaders in this town, young one. We thank you for freeing us, and beg for your grace's mercy." He knelt.

"We are not here to kill and destroy. We came to end a war of fourteen years. If your town is truly leaderless, then I must give you a task, brave man. I need you to find the person who would best lead this town. One who will guide and protect it through the turmoil ahead. I am sorry for inflicting this upon you, but there was no choice." Joe raised his voice "Citizens! Whoever this man chooses, I ask one thing of you. Work together selflessly, so that all of you might survive. I will return when I can, and help you rebuild." Joe walked away from the centre, to his waiting friends.

"Did I do that right? I hope they'll be okay…" Whispered Joe.

Sandy smiled "Don't be too worried. They have good access to resources, and without a war to drain them away, this town will have all it needs to flourish. I can already see you've changed its fate for the better."

* * *

The burial and short funeral of The Raven Lord was presided over by Autumn. It was as much for the Gravekeeper as the other lord. Li-Yen had carved out a comparatively shallow grave for the bird, and Jack and Cathori had shifted the broken form in.

"Here will rest The Raven Lord, true name unknown. In memory of our fallen ally, The Gravekeeper, we have chosen to give them a short funeral. The Raven Lord, leader of those against the heroes, betrayer of trust and former lord of Ravencourt. He slew the Gravekeeper six days ago.

The Gravekeeper, valued ally, and leader of the forces that wished to protect the heroes. Former lord of the Haunted Mines. He fell in battle defending his realm, six days ago. Does anyone wish to speak on the behalf of a fallen one?"

Everyone had lined up. Li-Yen went first. "On behalf of the Gravekeeper, I wish to express my thanks for his aid and devotion." She placed a wildflower on the mound of dirt.

Sandy walked forwards "I will never forget the lord that gave his life for us. May his rest be peaceful, and his tales be told gloriously."

Sung knelt at the grave "I apologise for my foolishness. It cost you dearly. Goodbye, brave friend."

Kaladi looked around "Survival is… fickle. I do not feel emotion as my family does. But… if they are sad, I will share that sadness."

Jack walked over "I… I'm so- so sorry!" He started crying, and fell to his knees. "I wish you were here." He forced himself to breathe, and left, tears wetting his shirt.

Cathori took her turn "You deserved better, Gravekeeper. We'll make sure your sacrifice isn't in vain, okay?"

Tom just looked at the large grave. "We would have died here if not for you. We'll do our best to see your memory never dies."

"On behalf of the Raven Lord… You acted to protect those you knew from a possible threat. It was a noble principle, and a shame that we had to be enemies. And Gravekeeper, I will swear to you. I will never let a war like this happen again. No matter what I must sacrifice. The realms will know peace for as long as I walk them." Said Joe.

"This concludes the service in memory of the two recently fallen lords. May they rest in peace." Closed Autumn.

* * *

Everyone was silent for a long time as they walked to the area Blackheart could pick them up. Eventually, Jack spoke. "Joe… why did you speak for The Raven Lord as well? He killed you."

Joe considered his answer for a while "Well… his last words were 'No justice…'. I suppose I felt sorry for him."

"Honourable." Remarked Sung. "My master often lectured on the values of forgiveness. But we should cheer up. A funeral provides closure. We ought to look ahead, to the future. Blackheart can send us to our parents now. Our dreams are within your reach."

"Thanks. I think I needed to hear that."

The group came up to a lake, where Blackheart's ghost ship was waiting. The captain himself put down the gangplank, and welcomed the others aboard with a grin. "Ye did it, lubbers! Ye ended the war!"

Everyone smiled. Autumn nodded "Yes. Have the other lords surrendered?"

"Aye, lass. Thanks to you lot. The rum's on me tonight. Don't tell your parents." Laughed Blackheart, as the ship began to sail.

 **Author's notes: And the war draws to a close. This story will be done soon, but there will be an epilogue. Next chapter will be the final confrontation.**

 **AnonymousArchon: Very Convenient Story Magic is part of the fun of writing fanfiction. And you were indeed nearly right. As for Li-Yen, -1.5 isn't going to stop her being QM viable, regen globes alone can sustain her. The real problem is it means she accumulates damage from minions too easily, and poke ruins her. Lucio heals for 25 per second at level one, so he's actually one of the stronger choices to heal her, since she's exclusively backline.**

 **Mpopl2: glad to hear it!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Valiant

Blackheart's ship had been sailing for a long time. Normally, a journey would only take ten hours at the slowest speeds, but the ship had been cruising at full speed for almost thirty. Joe would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. In fact, he was nearly having a meltdown from anxiety. What if his parents were gone forever? What if they didn't think he was their son? What if…

A knock on the room's doors jolted him out of his thoughts. Jack slipped in. "Hey Joe."

"Hey Jack. Are you feeling nervous too?" Joe said. There was no point trying to hide it.

"We all are. Except Autumn. She just gives me statistics. I never thought I'd envy that…"

"Don't. Emotions are an important part of life, and if I could I'd give Autumn hers back in a heartbeat." Joe came back with instantly. "Sorry if that sounded harsh. I'm going crazy here."

"No worries. I asked Blackheart, and we'll arrive in two hours. Do we have a plan?" Asked Jack.

"I don't think we can make one worth following without any information. I just hope that we don't have to fight Knives." Said Joe.

"Me too. She might be a traitor, but she's strong. Anyways, I'll go and tell the others to get ready." Jack exited the room.

"I… didn't mean it like that." Joe said quietly.

The nine heroes gathered on the decks of the ship ready for battle. Joe took a moment to talk to Li-Yen. He looked her in the glasses, wondering if her sight was unchanged before refocusing. "This is going to be our last battle."

"Yes… Is this about her?" Li-Yen said calmly.

Joe nodded "I want to try and convince her not to fight us, if she's still there. I know that you wouldn't, but don't-"

"I would, you were right to fear that. I've wrestled with the knowledge that she killed me for days. Sometimes I think that I'll kill her as soon as I can. Sometimes I want to give her a second chance."

"How about now?" Said Joe.

Li-Yen didn't truly have a face, but Joe could tell her expression was one of determination. "All of us are willing to die for you. We were before, and we still are. If you give an order, I will follow it. I promise you that."

Joe smiled "Then I'll give you the best orders I can."

Joe looked over the rest of the group. If anyone else needed to be talked to, now was the last chance before the battle. Tom would be fine. He still was the bright teenager who liked technology, but now he was also a lifesaver, never hesitating to do the right thing. Cathori would have no problems. Her stutter only showed at the worst of times, and her fighting reflected the new confidence. Jack had grown immeasurably over these two months. Autumn… Autumn had, in a twisted sense, become what she wanted: A model spy. For better or for worse. Kaladi had physically changed the most. He was muscled, and his skin was rugged. And his mind had changed too; he was no longer a lone wolf. Sung had become more measured. He didn't recklessly swing, and charge his foes believing valour alone could win the day. He kept his team at the front of his mind. Sandy had changed the least. But she had still grown. She seemed more comfortable now, sure that she was what she was meant to be. Knives wasn't here. Yet… perhaps. Perhaps she had grown just a little. And Li-Yen had grown to face all the troubles of reality. Her hardships had forged her into a true lady.

 _But what about me? Have I grown?_ Joe thought. He thought of his optimistic start, the inexperienced but careful leadership he'd given. He looked around now, friends that were more family to him surrounding him. He remembered the stories behind each, and how he'd changed, just a little with every new one. _Maybe a bit_. He decided.

* * *

The ship docked in total blackness. Only the lanterns of the ship lit the deck, but they did nothing to reveal the void surrounding it. Blackheart walked up to the group. "This is the end of the worlds. I'd send ye off with a quick call of 'lubbers', but it just don't fit ye anymore. So, you heroes. This be yer stop. Off ye get. And don't ye DARE die!" He pointed at the group.

Joe offered the pirate lord a handshake, that was quickly returned. "Thanks for everything. We'll meet again. Though I must be honest… for someone called Blackheart, you're one of the most compassionate lords."

Blackheart laughed "It's just a name, hero!"

The group walked off the gangplank, stepping into the void.

As soon as his feet touched the void's floor, Joe found himself somewhere else. The walls gave views of galaxies, a hexagon pattern occasionally flashing. His friends appeared behind him one by one, Tom, Cathori, Autumn, Jack, Kaladi, Sung, Sandy, and Li-Yen. Joe looked ahead. Standing before him, looking down, was Knives.

"Hello again." Joe said simply.

Knives didn't talk for a while "I can't get in. Do you know what I've done?"

Joe sighed "I know what you've done. We all saw it. Why?"

"I thought I could be happy if I just had the power to kill them all. I didn't think the price would be her… I was just focused on paying it. But… I doomed us all. I don't have enough power to open that door."

Li-Yen walked up to Knives, and slapped her in the face. Her hand disintegrated, but it had enough force to make Knives look up. "Come back, Knives! I know you killed me, and you know what?! I can understand why! But for crying out loud, if you're going to kill me then put the result to good use! Now show me that attitude I remember!"

Knives choked on her surprise for a moment before gasping "Is that you?!"

"Damn right it's me! Now in your own words, listen here! Joe still has some faith in you. Even after everything you did. So can you at least repay all the kindness he's shown you by giving it your all one last time!" Li-Yen shouted.

Knives steeled herself. "Is it true? You still trust me after that?"

Joe nodded "I trust us to put aside all that's happened, for the greater good. Are you willing to fight?"

Knives blinked. "Always."

"Then show me that door. Let's do this."

The ten heroes stood in front of the crystal monolith, as Joe rested his hand on the surface. "It only unlocks if there are two or more people here." He said. "Now, there's no more to say. Let's go." The monolith disappeared.

Inside the room was not what anyone expected. No terrible monster. They could see the heroes of old, all frozen in this cold, dark, crystal room. Joe looked around. "Are they…"

Sandy shook her head "No. They're frozen in time."

A new, quiet voice called from the centre of the room. "Is it time… I think it's time. Joseph Raynor."

Joe looked up quickly "Hello? Who is that?"

A small gnome in a yellow dress came forwards, from behind a frozen hero. She looked at the group with tired eyes, and a smile. "Looks like the good timeline happened. My name is- ah!"

Sandy had picked up her mother from the floor like a toddler, hugging her to her chest "Your name is Chronormu. Mom."

"Hey, I'm supposed to embarrassingly hug you, I'm the parent!" Protested Chromie, still smiling.

"Not if you're going to keep the timeline in order. But… what about the rest of the heroes?" asked Sandy, setting her mother down.

Chromie looked at the rest of the group. "Gather around. I know what to do." Everyone obliged. "I have enough power to nullify the time-stop on one being at a time. But I can't do anything else when I'm doing that. And when I stop, they would freeze again. So I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?" Said Joe.

"I need you to convince the foe we were fighting to let everyone go." Said Chromie, pointing to the heart.

Joe hadn't expected his final battle to be one of diplomacy. He looked at the electric-blue body, frozen mid-spell. "Are you sure that they can be reasoned with? Though… it does make sense that the most powerful entity would be at least self-aware…"

Tom placed a hand on Joe's shoulder "You can do this."

Joe was quiet for a moment. "Yes, I can. Chromie, I'm ready when you are."

"Here we go then. Sandy, I can count on you to help!" Said Chromie, starting to cast a powerful spell on the frozen heart of the nexus.

"Yes mother!" Sandy mimicked her mother's gestures, adding to the strength of the dispel.

Slowly, time started to move again for the heart. Both Sandy and Chromie were deep in concentration, and Joe could see why Chromie couldn't escape. If she tried to talk, she'd just lose concentration and freeze the heart again. Joe could see it's confusion slowly writing itself across it's face. He set down his gun, and carefully walked over to the body. It took a second for him to decide exactly what to do, before it became clear to him.

"Are you alright? We mean no harm." He said gently.

The body was silent, looking at Joe fearfully. "Y-y-you…"

"Do you need any help? You seem afraid."

The body shook it's head.

"Are you injured? Hungry? Cold? …Lonely?"

"Is he… gone?" Said the heart.

Joe thought on this "I'm not sure who 'he' is. But nobody in my group will hurt you if possible."

"The dark one. I trusted him, and he… he…" The heart trailed off again.

Joe instantly had suspicions over why the heart had attacked. "Were they a thin man, with black hair and a cane?"

"Yes…"

"They are dead. They betrayed everyone, and hurt a lot of innocent people. Tell me, did they hurt you?"

The heart nodded.

"I'm so sorry. I… think I have lot of explaining to do, if you want to listen." Said Joe. "But, fourteen years ago… our parents were attacked by a group of summoned foes. They thought that somebody sought to hurt them, so they went to find and stop them. They travelled around a lot of worlds, and met a lot of people. One of them was The Raven Lord. I think you remember him as the dark one. He wanted to see our parents die. And he was willing to do anything to achieve that. So… I think he must have come here and hurt you, so you would attack them, and then he pretended you were the one they should attack. Then… you froze everyone."

"He… came here, just a few moments ago. I trusted him, and he hurt me as much as he could. He told me it was a fraction of what the ones who were coming for me wold do, and that if I wanted to avoid any more pain, I should stop them… Was it a lie?"

Joe nodded "It was. You were forced to do this, and my parents were tricked to do this. So… I want to know if I can have them back. My parents. I barely know them, but I want to meet them more than anything."

"But, they would attack me…" Said the heart, remorse in their voice.

"That… that is a possibility. Though, you stopped them in time, right? They hadn't attacked you yet, so if I just yell 'stop' as loudly as I can… maybe I can work this all out." Joe reasoned.

"But… If I trust you, won't you hurt me?"

Knives stepped forward, her voice controlled and calculated. "He won't hurt you. Every one of us here had to trust him, and… he has never betrayed anyone."

"Then I will release them… I'm going to trust you now… Who are you?" Asked the heart.

"My name is Joseph Raynor. What's yours?"

"I am The Nexus." The heart of the nexus held out a hand, and all the heroes in the room briefly glowed yellow, before suddenly, they moved again.

* * *

"Everyone, wait! You've been tricked!" Said Joe urgently. The heroes took a step back in surprise.

Raynor stepped forwards "Who are _you_? Where did you come from?"

Joe looked over the small army of heroes. A lot were extremely tense, but none had jumped the gun and attacked. "I… I have some important news. It's going to be a bit of a shock."

"Then let's hear it. We can't just let Anchor get attacked." Said Raynor.

"You and The Nexus were manipulated into fighting each other. The real enemy is… was The Raven Lord. But… The Nexus panicked when it was attacked. It froze everyone in this room in time…"

Jaina stepped up, worry etched into her face "But for how long? Is… is Joe safe?"

Joe looked his mother in the eyes. They matched his own. "I am Joe. It's been fourteen years."

The Heroes exploded into whispers. Eventually, Raynor spoke again "What's your middle name? Is Anchor okay? And who're these other people you've brought?"

"Derek. Anchor… has been destroyed. When the heart panicked, I think that it summoned a lot of those bodies. But also… Anchor's land has been broken apart. And a lot of the residents are gone."

Raynor looked downcast "I see. Hoped it wouldn't go that way. But history repeats, I guess."

"With me, are the rest of us children who were left behind. We're all close friends. Everyone, can you introduce yourselves one last time?"

"Thomas Morales. Hi mom. I helped keep everyone okay while we travelled. I tried my best to learn how to save lives, and I learned how to protect people like dad."

"I'm Cathori Findlay. I... um, I helped by moving everyone quickly. And I built my mech by myself!" Tychus raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

Hammer poked her head out of the top of her tank and yelled "Now that's my daughter, all right!"

"I am Autumn. I am a spy. I died, but was revived."

"I… am Kaladi. I joined Joe… to survive. He leads well."

"My name is Sung Stormstout. I hope my deeds fulfil expectations, Sonya." He looked into the crowds, hoping to see who reacted to the name.

"I'm Sandy Earthfury. I used my gift of foresight to guide and protect everyone." Rehgar and Thrall stood next to one another, but the smile on Rehgar's face marked him.

"Knives… Hildia Stormrage. I fought for vengeance of a lost friend." Valla gave a small, sad smile, unseen by her daughter.

"And I am Li-Yen, the daughter of Li-Ming. Knives had to destroy my first body, but I created a second one with the magical powers of our group."

Raynor stepped forwards, and offered his hand to Joe "You did good, son. Just one thing left that I want to know. What about… the heart of the nexus?"

Joe shook hands with his father. "I don't think I can truly speak on its behalf. It was manipulated just as we were. It suffered a lot at the hands of The Raven Lord. But…" He turned to the heart, standing far back in the room. "Do you want to talk to the heroes? I think they won't hurt you."

The heart carefully approached "I will. It is only responsible."

Raynor regarded the being in front of him. Nigh-infinite power, but a fragile mind and sensitive soul. "I was wondering if you could send us back to our homes. I have a lot of catching up to do with my son. And… is it true that Anchor has been broken apart?"

The body stared at the floor "Yes… When I saw you attacking, I jumped, and decided to tear the lands apart. But I can still send you back to that world."

Jaina stepped up at Raynor's side "What my husband is trying to ask… is could you fix it? We would like Joe, and all the other children to see the city we wanted them to grow up in."

"I can, at least a little. I will send you back now… But… Joseph. I want to meet you again. Can you visit me?"

"I will do my best, as always." Replied Joe.

And his vision went black.

* * *

Mr. Rogers looked outside at the rumbling. It was as if an earthquake was occurring, but rather than destroying the hospital building, it was-

The ground flashed with surging electricity. The skies went from a dull grey to the deep black of space, but he could still breathe and he could feel a raging wind blow across his face, threatening to tear away the old flags at the front of the building. Until finally, it began to snow. Small white flakes that rushed down from the sky faster than anyone could follow, as dense as smoke.

"Marge, the weather's gone mad." Called Mr. Rogers lightly.

The snow continued to flurry by, growing denser and denser until couldn't see a thing outside. And then, very suddenly, it stopped, and bright sunshine glowed. The snow began to fade away from the hospital in a few seconds, as the old butler looked out of the window. The view was very different. A ruined city, buildings that had almost all been maintained shakily -or not at all- for fourteen long, hard years. A network of fissures were spread out over the city streets, glowing with white light as they sealed themselves. And in the middle of all these fissures, in a destroyed hall, there was a small crowd.

Wait. This city…

Mr. Rogers stood quickly and ran to the window, looking around. That was his house. There was the nursery, and the park, and the baker's, and the garage… This was Anchor. And the crowd! Even at this distance, Mr. Rogers could see bright clothing and the shine of armour, alongside the large forms of a few beasts.

"They're back!" He shouted. "THE HEROES ARE BACK!"

* * *

Joe looked around the ruins of the town hall, now filled with heroes. He looked outside, seeing a derelict city, and turned to face everyone. "We did it!" He shouted.

Jaina hugged her son. "You did it."

Raynor looked at the two with absolute pride and joy, and hugged both. "You did it, Joe. You saved us all."

Tyreal floated in the air, looking at his city. He saw a small group of people running up to the heroes. "Hail, mortals. We are sorry for our absence."

Mr. Rogers looked up at Tyreal with his greyed hair. "Just for now, Tyreal, I want to see Joe again. Take us to him."

"And Tom." Added Marge.

The heroes were parted by the archangel of justice, followed by the hospital's staff. Despite their weariness and slight apprehension or maybe disbelief, everyone they went past was genuinely happy to see them. They reached the very centre of the room, seeing Joe unhug his family.

Marge ran over to Tom, who was by Joe's side. "Tom, you had us worried sick!"

Tom laughed as Marge looked at him with hands on hips. "I'm okay, Marge. Come on, I still need to find my parents in this crowd!"

Morales raised her hand. "We're here, Thomas. Hold on, here we come."

The medic started to pick her way through the crowd, before Muradin shouted "All right, all you clear outta the way, because I've got a son to meet!" And started shoving his way to the front, with Morales running after him. They were with the children in no time.

Tom took off his helmet, and offered a handshake to his mother. "Good to meet you guys."

Morales awkwardly returned it, thanks to her shield. "You too, Tom."

Muradin guffawed "Let's all get out of this crowd, eh? Come on son, your story is gonna be even better than Brann's!" He started pushing his way out of the group of heroes, taking his family with him.

* * *

Cathori climbed on top of the Firebird, and shouted over to Hammer's siege tank "Come on over, mom! Bring Dad!"

Hammer vaulted out of her tank, and Tychus looked into the crowd ahead and said "You can all clear the way or I'll clear it for you." Everyone hurried aside. The outlaw and the driver walked over, side by side. Cathori jumped down from the top of her mech. "Hi mom!"

"Well hello, daughter. Gotta say, that's a nice piece of metal you got there." Said Hammer, looking up at the Firebird.

Tychus looked at the two of them "Ya know, I'm glad you turned out well and all, but did you get anything from me but hair?"

Hammer laughed "Nah, or she wouldn't have turned out so good. Ain't hair enough?"

"Ah whatever. Come on, spill on what happened. I got a hell of a lot of catching up to do. Almost as bad as last time." Said Tychus.

* * *

Jack and Tracer were already dancing around each other. Tassadar floated nearby, serenely.

Jack looked at Tracer "I thought it was going to be impossible to see you. I thought you were gone forever, for the longest time…"

"Don't worry, love. Cavalry's here. And this cavalry isn't going away for a while, either!" Tracer beamed.

"If I may interrupt…" Said Tassadar. "En taro Adun, Jack. You have done both your races a great honour."

Jack smiled "Thanks. I… wait, I have to respond to En taro Adun, don't I?"

Tracer giggled "I'm sure he won't mind this time."

"Thanks dad. But I need to know something. Am I… actually your son? I heard that I was designed, but then, well…"

Tassadar was unfazed "Yes. It is impossible for a cross of our two species to occur naturally. Therefore, I forged you from raw psionic energy. It took many days, but you _were_ designed to be our son. Do not think that means we will treat you differently to a child born normally."

"Come on, Jack! It's a beautiful day. I've got a view I want you to see!" Said Tracer. "This way!" She took his hand and started jogging off.

* * *

Autumn was approached by Nova. "Greetings." She said.

"What happened to you, Autumn?" Said Nova, concern on her face.

"I died. Then I was revived, but I lost my emotions." Autumn said.

Kharazim sighed. "I had hoped you would avoid such a fate, but the world is not always perfect. I thank the mercy of the gods that your death was not permanent."

"Oh, Autumn. Well, at least you found the right people to be loyal to. More than I can say for most of my mortal life." Nova said.

* * *

Kaladi found his mother in the air. "…hello?" He said.

"Hello, new friend! I am Brightwing! Who are you?" Brightwing said happily.

"I am… Kaladi."

"Yay, we are friends then! Come on, friend. You should meet Dehaka!" Brightwing glided down, landing on Dehaka's back.

Kaladi flew down to look at the Primal Zerg. Dehaka looked back "I am Dehaka. One-who-collects. You… yes, you smell like our spawn. I am… pleased you survived. Thank you for bringing us back."

"…I found a family with the other ones. They taught me how we could survive and find you." Said Kaladi.

"Come on, friend! There are lots of friends here for you to meet! You should come and see Shan'do!" Said Brightwing.

Dehaka cleared his throat. "I will follow. But, we should go soon. There is essence to be found."

* * *

Sung was approached by Sonya. Sonya clapped a hand onto his shoulder. "Hello, boy. I am sorry for my failures, but I and your father will atone. We could not protect our home, but we will rebuild it better than before for you."

Chen was next to them. "I am quite pleased to see you, Sung. You seem to grown into a fine man. How are you?"

Sung smiled "I hold nothing against you. Mother, you have not failed anyone. Least of all me. The one you and Father hired to protect me taught me as much as he could about both of your cultures. I will not let you rebuild alone Mother. And Father, I've never been happier. This is the realisation of my wildest dreams."

Sonya smiled "Brave words, boy. Let us act on them. Come on." She climbed out of the town hall, closely followed by Sung and Chen.

* * *

Sandy and Rehgar were looking at each other curiously.

Chromie was watching this. "And speech in three… two…"

"So, you're my daughter then. I hope your team were good and fierce out there." Said Rehgar.

"Indeed. We were all driven to find our parents again, after fourteen years. And there were many battles." Replied Sandy.

Rehgar was quickly overcoming the awkwardness "Good, good! What part did you play in the fights?"

"I protected us with my powers. I am able to use sand and ground as my weapon. Truly, Earthfury." Sandy answered.

Rehgar grinned "You and I are going to get along well, daughter! Wait until you see the arena!"

Chromie looked at Rehgar "Now, now. You're not putting her in there on my watch!"

"Not alone! There's no better way to bond than battle. We'll both back her up!" Said Rehgar.

Chromie giggled "Okay then, wolf. Can you transform, Sandy?"

"Yes, I can take the form of a dragon if I wish. Father, I know that with you at my side, I cannot lose. I will lead us to victory in your arena, but first… Mother, I need you to free grandmother. She has been sealed in time since I left." Said Sandy.

"Oh, of course! And we should go and thank her, too! Come on!" Chromie said, taking her family towards the frozen house.

* * *

Knives slipped into the shadows. Illidan immediately looked at her. "You can't hide from me, Hildia. What have you done?"

Knives looked down at the floor "I… I killed my friend for power. And even after that, they still treated me like a person… I'm just… I'm just terrible. I'm not worthy of being called anything, let alone hero. There's no way you could want me as a daughter…"

Illidan sighed "My title is literally The Betrayer."

Valla smirked "And besides, if they trusted you after that, I'd say that you could probably have them back as friends if you wanted. You don't want to spend your days alone with demons, right Illidan?"

"That was ONE time!" Illidan protested.

* * *

Li-Yen was approached by Falstad on his gryphon.

"So… what happened to you? You look a bit less… ginger than I expected." He said.

Li-Yen curtsied "I just became a bit more powerful. You look just like the stories say… A powerful gryphon rider, master of hammer and feather. And there's mom! Woah, she's even better than the books… That glittering tiara… those silken robes… wow."

Li-Ming smiled brilliantly "You know, that's quite the archon form. Even my descendant astounds me. I am Li-Ming, grand master of the arcane. Welcome home."

"I'm glad to see you too, even if I just say it." Said Falstad.

Li-Yen would have smiled if she could've. "It's the end of my adventure. And an ending I'm happy for. Oh, I think someone's making an announcement…"

Tyreal had righted his podium. "Heroes, citizens. We have triumphed, and the crisis has passed. Anchor is in ruins, but in the name of Justice, it will be rebuilt! Those brave ones who saved us from our foolishness, the descendants- will be recognised as heroes to us all. While they are reuniting with their parents, the rest of us must rebuild. We cannot leave every burden to them. And as I am not one for long speeches, I have but two more things to say. This will no longer be remembered as the Time of the Ground. This event is now better known as the Storm cloud. When the skies were darkened, and we were powerless, yet those who were not, acted and saved us. And, as of now, the crisis is officially over, and those of you with demonic affiliation are to leave by tomorrow. The rest of us are to begin stockpiling resources for the rebuilding tomorrow. May justice guide you all."

* * *

Joe looked over the dispersing crowd. "It's… over."

Raynor nodded "I'm going to throw you one hell of a party."

"Count me in. We have more than a few birthdays to cover." Said Jaina.

"Mom, dad… that sounds great."

"Just one moment!" Came a familiar voice.

Joe looked to see who'd spoken "Mr. Rogers! You're okay!"

"I know you've got your real parents back now, Joe, and that you won't need this old man much longer… but you did good. Well done." Said the old butler.

Raynor looked over the man. "You've gone above and beyond your calling. We will never forget what you've done for us. Starting with making you guest of honour. Now, then. I think you get to say the last thing here, Joe."

Joe nodded "I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. But, for now…"

"…Let's go home."

 **Author's notes: And the last arc is OVER! Thank you all for reading. It's been a blast, getting all your comments. There will be five epilogues, each showing what two of the children are doing a few months after the adventure. However, from this moment onwards, I would like to give my permission to everyone in the archive: If you want to use any of the characters I created, you can. Just try and keep them relatively in-character, okay? Consider it my thanks for reading all of this.**

 **AnonymousArchon: If someone else is picking up the globes, they have good range. And Lucio doesn't need to be glued to Li-Yen 100% of the time, especially in teamfights.**

 **Mpopl2: Yep, that's him! It's been there for a few months, but there's no need to feel awkward over that. It's not labelled or anything.**

And, a thank you by name to every reviewer. Thank you to Lucario, Anon, Tinhline, Skullypirate, Hawki, LrdStrkil10, AnonymousArchon, and Mpopl2. Your reviews gave me the motivation to get this done.


	31. Chapter 31

Epilogue 1: The warrior of steel, and The unnatural fighter

Sung passed the last batch of bricks up to Sonya. The original heroes had wanted to rebuild the town themselves, but Sung was adamant that he wanted to help. He was repairing the town hall's walls, with the help of Sonya. Chen was mixing concrete in a barrel, that he passed up to Sung. Sung carefully applied the mix along the current brickwork, and Sonya placed a line of bricks in quickly. They were an efficient trio.

"I like this. I feel like I'm part of a greater purpose again." Sung said.

"Hah, not much can compare to what you did before. Bul-kathos would be proud to see such a warrior!" Said Sonya. She hadn't taken off her greatswords even to climb scaffolding, but moved like they were feathers.

Chen swung himself up to Sung's level. "How are you adjusting to the matches? You can certainly hold your own in the bar, but I don't know how much you can tolerate fighting your friends."

"They have to fight me, too. Honestly, I enjoy fighting them without consequence. How's my cousin doing? I hear she's been having a bit of a crisis over her healing abilities." Sung said.

"Li Li's just a little worried that she focuses too much on healing the wrong people. Although, I think I have to disagree. She'll hear none of that, though. She's trying to get stronger."

Sung looked out over the streets of Anchor. "It's times like this that I live for. Me and my family. Need more concrete, Sonya?"

"Yes. We can reminisce later. Our home comes first." Sonya answered.

Sung smiled, as he dug in his trowel and laid more cement on the wall. "True. Can you tell me another story while we work? I know that Chen tells great ones, but yours… I can almost see myself in them."

"Alright. What about the first time I fought Leoric? The castle dungeon was full of monsters…" Sonya said, placing another brick.

* * *

Tracer and Tassadar were watching Jack in his practice match against Calzaghe. Jack ducked and weaved under his mentor's punches, striking back at every opportunity. Calzaghe was no pushover, but he was losing decisively. Eventually, Jack broke through his guard and made a clean punch to his chest, ending the match. Tracer clapped wildly. "Well done!"

Calzaghe wiped the sweat off his brow. "You've gotten way stronger. Good work."

Jack hopped out of the boxing ring, grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head backwards. "Did you see me?" He said to his parents.

"Exceptional skill. You have certainly mastered your weapons. A fine example." Said Tassadar.

Tracer jumped in the air a little. "We saw you all right! That was great! You did a brill job training my son, Joe C." She called to the pro boxer.

"Cheers. Might have done too well- if there was such a thing." He replied from the ring.

Jack sat on the side. Tassadar stared at him briefly. "Does something trouble you, Jack?" He asked.

"Well… Yeah. Ever since we all got back here, and the daily battles resumed, I haven't been able to go and visit the worlds outside the battlefields. Only Joe seems to be able to. I guess I just kind of miss Blackheart."

Tracer patted him on the shoulder. "It'll be okay! We'll go and talk to Joe, and see if he knows anything."

"Yes. Failing that, I would be happy to warp between dimensions until I can locate a path." Added Tassadar.

"Thanks!" Said Jack brightly.

 **Author's note: Jack. Jr is named after Soldier: 76 from Overwatch (Jack Morrison). These epilogues are mainly just to showcase how each child is getting along with their family after everything, and so will come out quickly since they're short. Also, the titles of each chapter are the titles that the children would have in the shop.**

 **Mpopl2: How do you like this? The next one will probably be up tomorrow. I did use Archon form as a part of the inspiration for Li-Yen's revival.**

 **Houzwa: I'm glad you liked it! Who was your favourite descendant?**

 **SkullyPirate: Thanks. I did my best, so It's nice to know my best is at least relatively good.**


	32. Chapter 32

Epilogue 2: The survivor zerg, and The master mechanic

A drone burrowed into the floor, covering itself with a film. Kaladi watched as the creep spread over the ground around the rapidly growing structure. He glanced to Dehaka. "This will be… for me?"

"Yes. You lack the ability to spawn alone, so consider this aid my thanks. You will still be able to form a pack." Dehaka said.

"I am… thankful. But… will I be able to leave it? Will you destroy it… as a rival pack leader should?" Asked Kaladi.

"No. While that would be the way of Zerus, this is not Zerus. Things have changed, as they always will. We are allies. But, you will not grow by serving me as a mindless spawn would. Grow, Kaladi. Life will continue to cycle. Return to me as an equal." Explained Dehaka, his tone free of the aggression he would naturally display to a rival, but conveying no warmth.

Brightwing looked at the bulge in the floor, almost fully formed "Look, look! It is done!" Unlike her mate, she was as caring towards her allies as ever, no matter the situation.

The structure burst through the protective coating, a fully formed hatchery. The three heroes looked over the structure. "I will see you again." Said Dehaka plainly, before leaving.

Brightwing stayed. "Friend… You will find your way. I will make sure you are happy, if you become sad! But, do not forget your older friends. They will be happy to see you, too. I am going now, friend. I will see you again too!" She glowed for a few seconds, before warping out.

Kaladi started ordering his first larva into drones.

* * *

The firework display illuminated the night sky. The small population of Anchor Ooohed and Aaahed as the rockets burst into showers of light. Cathori watched as a stream of blue sparks exploded into being for a few seconds, and cheered wildly. "This show is amazing!" She called to the heroes behind her.

"Heh, good enough. Nothing on the old Hyperion's cannons, but good enough." Said Tychus. He was holding a sparkler in his mouth in lieu of a cigar.

Hammer had set up for the occasion too, but in a bigger way. As Cathori and her father watched the small display, her siege tank's cannon was being loaded with colourful explosives. Three rounds of fireworks, and Hammer's own personal creation: the OMG. Overly Massive Griller, of course.

The display appeared to end, to Cathori's disappointment. "Aw, is that it?" She said.

Tychus grinned broadly "Nah-uh. Surprise, girl."

There was a thundering boom as the first firework round was shot into the air. It climbed two hundred metres trailing red sparks before tearing itself into a thousand fragments of glowing flames of white, and then the fragments burst again into blue. Cathori watched in awe.

Another colossal boom as the second round was discharged. This one trailed a pretty violet, and split in half during the ascent. One burst into a shower of green sparks, the other orange, the sparks continuing to fizz as they fell.

The last round was fired, already sparking as it left the ground. It travelled to the skies before exploding in the widest array of golden bolts Cathori could imagine, and a moment later giving off a second supernova of deep blue bolts.

And then there was a faint clunking sound in the distance. Cathori thought it was the firework machine shutting down, but then the OMG fired. The hulking missile was easily a metre in width. It soared into the sky, giving off ring-shaped bursts of sparks every few metres, cycling through the colours of the rainbow. Even so, it was still enormous as it reached the apex of its flight. It stopped climbing, and what occurred next can only be done justice by the word supernova. It was a continuous explosion far, far in the air that looked like the sun turning into a giant palette. The missile turned the night sky to day, blasting out every colour you could think of and a few you couldn't without any gaps. It stopped for a moment, and with a deafening roar, tore itself into millions, if not billons of hot pink sparks that fell like rain towards the entire city of anchor, burning out mere metres from Cathori's face.

"Oh my…" Cathori said. "It was- It was even my favourite colour…"

Tychus had dropped the sparkler in surprise, his mouth hanging open. "Well, she said it would be something. Gotta say, your ma knows how to blow things up."

 **Author's note: For those of you wondering about Kaladi, almost all species of reptiles just completely abandon their young, and from what we see in Warcraft, faerie dragons are no exception. Although, Brightwing is unusually friendly for a faerie dragon, so her continued interactions with Kaladi are justified IMO.**

 **Mpopl2: Glad you agree.**


	33. Chapter 33

Epilogue 3: The fallen spy, and The broken hatred

Kharazim meticulously posed, graceful. Nova copied, as did Autumn. The three of them sat down, cross-legged. "Autumn. The gods cannot grant you that which we wish for you. I am sorry." Said Kharazim.

Autumn blinked "That does not upset me. For me to feel sorrow is no longer possible. You do not need to trouble yourself."

Nova looked at her daughter "It troubles us, too. We both care about you, even though we… well, we never met you. I've been looking into getting you some Terrazine. Apparently it can help lost memories resurface, so maybe it'll work on your emotions?"

"I have no concern over the matter. In full honesty, I have more interest in your teachings, Kharazim. A greater purpose must surely be one that I should contribute to." Said Autumn.

Kharazim let the winds blow past him. "If you truly believe that you wish to be taught, then I must warn you: once training begins, I cannot view you as my flesh and blood. You will be a student, just as any other who would meditate and train under me."

"Good. That will ensure my training is enough." Said Autumn.

Nova sighed. "I'll help you if you need help. But now there are some things I need to take care of. Information doesn't just leak on its own, you know."

* * *

"Faster! You need more power in your strikes!" Yelled Illidan, vaulting over Knives.

Knives slipped past Illidan's warglaives, and simultaneously blocked one being pulled in and tried to stab Illidan in the gut. Illidan twisted out of the hold, sweeping through Knives, her tough leather armour just barely holding. Knives jumped forwards, bringing her weapons down towards Illidan's back.

For just a moment, she saw a yellow dress, with red stains.

The knives clanged against Illidan's warglaives, and flew from Hildia's slackened grip. In that some instant, she saw Illidan again, but she'd lost the match. "Damn!" she shouted. "Still not good enough. I need to go again." She scooped up her blades.

Illidan faced off against his daughter without even pausing for breath. "Your hatred isn't strong enough. You need to find the state of mind that lets you fight!"

"I'll think whatever I want to, dad! You don't control me, even if you ARE edgier!" Knives retorted. No matter her feelings, her persona was a stubborn thing.

They leapt at each other, blades clashing. Knives secretly appreciated the advice. She wasn't trying to hate anymore, ever since her ascension… she seemed to have had the capacity weakened. Killing Li-Yen had shaken her. But this had given rise to a new mentaility.

Win. The person before me is nothing but an obstacle, and their survival is mine to decide.

Knives was psyching herself up with every stroke, gaining momentum and moving ever faster. Illidan had held the advantage at the match's start, but now it was her turn to let her daggers bring ruin.

Valla watched as she did this. Knives wasn't disciplined to her level, but she was more controlled than her father. _She would be a great demon hunter in either of our worlds_ , she decided.

 **Author's notes: Killing Li-Yen will always weigh heavily on Knives, since she had her state preserved as a hero while the shock was freshest. But if you think that means she's going to break down crying when she remembers it, or fail to sass anyone and everyone, you are mistaken.**


	34. Chapter 34

Epilogue 4: The seer of time, and The manifested soul

Sandy hummed as she fed the cloth through the sewing machine. The amount of effort she would need for this design was tremendous, but when you enjoyed something, it was effortless. The silk she was using was heavily enchanted to repair and clean itself, and was a sky-blue thin enough to be mistaken for air along the sleeves. She carefully put together the flowing garment. There was a knock at her room's door. She turned off the machine. "Come in."

Rehgar roughly opened the door, holding a pale wood log. "Want to carve a totem? Just got some new wood in, from Sanctuary apparently. Should be able to make something good, I've never seen wood that's just completely white before."

Sandy smiled "Naturally. I always wanted to try. What about mother?"

"She's already started. Come on, I'll show you how to carve a good dragon's head." Said Rehgar.

A few minutes later, Sandy watched as her parents shaped a totem. It appeared to be a bronze dragon resting upon a hollow wooden orb, with a few elemental stones deposited in the front. Sandy looked back to her effort. Far from Rehgar's elaborate work, a simple pattern of dramatic curves. Sandy looked at the pure white of the wood, and opted to take some of her dye she would use for fabric and colour her pattern a rich, sunny yellow.

"Hey, that looks great! Look at what Sandy's done, wolf!" Said Chromie, pointing at Sandy's design. It was oddly elegant for something with patterning that befitted the horde.

Rehgar inspected the totem "Not bad, did you enchant it? This can probably channel earth spirits."

"I'm not really sure how to. Why don't you show me?" Said Sandy.

Rehgar nodded "It's all about pleasing the element you want to call on. Our family line's always had an affinity for the earth, but the other elements are still there for us. Add something you think would appeal to the elements, and focus on calling for that spirit."

Sandy dug around in her pockets, seeing if there was anything useful among the sewing supplies. There were some glass beads. Glass was just melted sand, right? Sandy carefully stuck a few of them to the totem, and called on the only earth deity she could think of, in her mind. It had not been mentioned to her what had become of the deity, so she was a bit confused and upset when the totem burst into flames.

"Oh, uh, not quite what you wanted, huh? We've all been there. Who'd you call on?" Said Rehgar.

"Neltharion. The aspect of earth from that book of stories I have."

"Right… Well, long story short… he's more of a destruction element now. Don't worry, we'll try again. We've got all the time in the world."

"You'll get there eventually!" Said Chromie.

"Yes, I will. Come on, let's see yours. If I've got all the time in the world, then I'll still try to use it well." Said Sandy, calm again.

* * *

Li-Yen looked down at the ground below. Despite having become a physical manifestation of her soul through raw magic power, she was not exempt from the laws of physics if she didn't have the necessary spell. It would be a long way down. The gryphon below her seemed like an unsafe mount. Her parents were in front of and behind her.

"How do you like the view, lassie?" said Falstad, the gryphon turning in a gentle circle over an overgrown valley.

"It's fantastic, exhilarating, and also a little terrifying!" Li-Yen shouted.

Li-Ming smiled a little "Just wait until the finale! It'll blow you away!"

Falstad sent the gryphon into a sharp dive, as Li-Yen screamed. They rushed towards the floor faster and faster, before the gryphon spread its wings and began to curve outwards, retaining most of the speed. Before Li-Yen knew it, they were flying at maximum speed just a metre from the ground, rushing through trees and foliage as fast as a car along a motorway. Every five seconds she could have sworn they should have smacked into an obstacle, but the gryphon just didn't seem to be able to hit something. After a few seconds, a cliff face approached, and the gryphon curved upwards to climb it, the g-force pressing onto Li-Yen. They climbed into the air for just a few seconds, before coming out over a lake.

The gryphon slowed, and landed. "How's that, eh?" Said Falstad.

"As magnificent as ever!" Replied Li-Ming.

Li-Yen was glad she didn't eat anything that could be thrown up anymore, but still fell to her knees. She gave a weak thumbs-up. "Like… like a tornado." She answered.

Li-Ming turned to her daughter. "You… didn't take to that so well then. No matter! We'll just take you on a gentler ride next time. Besides, guess what I brought?"

"What?" Asked Li-Yen, righting herself.

Li-Ming pulled a few paperback novels out of the gryphon's saddlebag. "Books. I found them yesterday, and I thought you'd like to read them somewhere new."

"Oh! Thanks!" Li-Yen took the first book, and sat down on a rock overlooking the lake. Her parents sat beside her, each taking a book to read as well.

 **Author's notes: Li-Yen is much less showy than either of her parents, and mostly enjoys different things. She would ultimately rather just read, as long as everything's okay. Sandy really likes to create things, but she's far better with cloth.**

 **Mpopl2: It's sort of like the sinking feeling you have when you realise you've permanently damaged something you genuinely care about, multiplied by ten. But Knives will never hesitate to strike down her foe. It's just not in her nature.**

 **Guest: I actually considered giving Kaladi a primal setup for a long time, but eventually settled on regular zerg since hivemind is so much better than verbal for communication. Of course, nothing is stopping Kaladi integrating fragments of his genes into his pack to create semi-primals. Or just reconfiguring it himself. He can do that.**

 **I'm 100% aware Raynor/Kerrigan is canon for Starcraft, but in heroes, due to everyone being from different points in time we've got the Raynor who still thinks Kerrigan can't be saved (pre/early WoL I think), and the Kerrigan who's just had a Zerus-style bath and been dumped. But sure, I'll touch on the backstory. As for lemons... I kind of want to write some anyway, but I also worry about my reputation. Maybe with the right excuse.**


	35. Chapter 35

Epilogue 5: The loyal healer, and The enduring leader.

"Okay, that's the last of the shots. You'll be ok in a few days." Said Tom to a patient.

Morales watched. "Very good! You only have to do a few more things and I can officially license you as a field medic."

"Good to hear. I can't wait to go exploring. Just imagine what's out there." Said Tom.

Muradin was carefully sitting on a crate in the corner so as not to disturb anyone, but he laughed loudly enough to make Tom jump a little anyway. "You're a right chip off the old block. C'mon,lad. You can do it!"

Tom nodded. "Yeah, I can do it! What's left, mom?"

Morales looked at a clipboard "You just need to pass an equipment maintenance test and a basic personality check. You'll pass."

"Then let's go. I've got a lot to see!" Said Tom.

"That's my boy!" Said Muradin.

* * *

Joe, Jaina and Raynor were outside the room at the end of the worlds.

"Nice of you to care, but are you totally sure this ain't a trap?" Said Raynor, as they approached the monolith.

"It can't be. You saw how powerful that guy is. They could have taken on all of us and won with ease." Answered Joe.

"Fair enough. Guess I ought to be a little more trusting." Said Raynor.

Jaina walked up to the monolith. "Perhaps we should have brought Rogers with us. He deserves to be with Joe too, after all he did. My father too, if he weren't trapped in Blackheart's world."

Raynor shook his head "Rogers was okay with staying back for this one. Checked with him myself. Hell of a butler. We left him to face off against the apocalypse and he still found time to raise Joe."

Joe dissolved the monolith, and the three of them stepped into The Room. "Hello?" He called.

"…hello." Came the reply.

Joe walked in briskly. "Is everything okay? I thought that you might be lonely."

The Heart stepped up from a corner. "I… I normally spend my days like this. I have for as long as I can remember… But everything is okay."

Joe sighed in relief, and smiled. "That's great to hear. I brought my Scrabble set, so would you like to play with us?"

"Yes…" Said The Heart.

The Heart turned out to be very, very good at Scrabble. Triple word scores simply fell into place and very complex yet high scoring words were put down almost every turn. Joe was doing his best, but losing, Jaina was only fifty or so points behind the heart, and Raynor was struggling to get anything down. But they all laughed and smiled and congratulated each other on their words. The last word went down, and the game ended with The Heart first, then Jaina, Joe and Raynor.

"Wow, you're a natural at this." Said Joe.

The Heart shrugged "I… think I know all words. It's nice that you all care. So there's something I should tell you, Joe."

"What is it?"

"There are other realities. I cannot visit them, but I can send you to them for a short while, provided they would have you. I could send your friends, too. In these realities… There are different versions of those you know. If you, or one of your friends ever wants to visit another world… I will send you there." Offered The Heart.

Joe smiled "Thanks, but maybe not right now. I still want to spend some time with my parents."

"I understand that. But, will you play another round of Scrabble? I enjoyed the last one…"

 **Author's notes: And that is all. I've even given you some explanation as to how these characters might end up elsewhere should you borrow them. I have little left to say, so… Goodbye for now, and thank you! *Relaxing credits music plays...***

 **Mpopl2: I think I will (if I do write that). I can 100% sympathise with burning out on comments. I went through it myself. And I've had much less capacity for it after starting writing. If I wrote them, I would set them in this multiverse I created. Probably the base dimension.**


End file.
